Microfluidic cell culture system studies and computational fluid dynamics

Microfluidic platforms are microfabricated tools that are gaining popularity for studying of cellular biology. These platforms can allow precise control of the environment surrounding individual cells and have achieved amazing progress in application to cell culture in recent several years. After a brief description of the background and the major characteristics of the microfluidic chip and the corresponding advantages for cell culture, the development of cell patterning techniques is discussed. The microfluidic cell culture platforms are classified into: (i) single cell-type culture; and, (ii) multiple cell-type culture (i.e., cell coculture). Several microfluidic cell culture systems integrated with other functionalities using microfabricated technology are reviewed. This review also aims at discussing the rationale of using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in microfluidic cell culture system studies, as fluid flow processes and phenomena have direct implications on cellular response such as migration and/or proliferation.