Figure 1.

Basic description of optimized cardiac tissue surrogate fabrication process, allowing for extended culturing of thick tissue structures. The first layer of cells is deposited and cultured for 48 h, after which the second layer is deposited using LbL approach. The second layer of cells is deposited, allowed to polymerize, and the entire structure contained in its frame is then lifted off of the dish surface and placed ontop of PDMS platforms. Thick, viable, multi-layered tissue can be cultured for the desired amount of time (1–4 weeks).