The Lung-on-a-Chip team at Fort Lewis College developed a novel fabrication method to produce a viable porous silicon biomembrane that mimics the functionality of the human interstitial space that separates the alveolar cells and the capillary cells where the gas exchange occurs in the lungs. T

his membrane has been successfully integrated into a test-platform in the form of a microfluidic device that allows for studies of interactions between different types of tissues within the lungs, mechanical and structural effects on the membrane and provides a live cell imaging platform (Fig top).

The most recent efforts on this project were performed by undergraduate scholars in the form of interdisciplinary senior capstone project team from the Physics & Engineering department. The undergraduate scholars showed that both alveolar and capillary cells can grow successfully within this microfluidic device and are currently submitting a manuscript of their results.