Microscale Fabrication

We explore various kinds of micro-scale engineering methods 
for biomedical applications.

Electrospinning

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Cellular microenvironment is essential for mechanisms of cell development such as growth, division, and differentiation. Typically, biochemical stimulus and mechanical influence of ECM micro/nano topography are major factors to constitute cellular microenvironment. Numerous researches and development have been investigated by modulating these biochemical and mechanical microenvironment, which were considered as impossible approach in a conventional biological point of view.
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We mainly investigate and deal with 3-dimensiotnal micro/nano patterning, electrospinning, and 3D printing technique out of many fabrication approaches in order to mimic micro/nano mechanical environment in vivo. For example, by electrospinning method, our group have ensured a methodology of obtaining aligned biodegradable nanofiber mesh in a very simple and reliable manner. By electrospinning technique, we are able to fabricate unidirectional and cross-directional aligned 3D nanofiber array in a various density conditions, which makes possible for researchers to freely modulate in vitro 3D nano/micro fibrous mesh structure as mimicking cellular microenvironment by resembling micro morphologies of target tissues or cells. Furthermore, we make an effort on developing tools for easily handling nanofibrous mesh to stack multiple same or different types of cell sheet and systemically alter cell and tissue culture condition at the appropriate point. And recently, we have adopted various 3D printing techniques in order to fabricate innovative 3D structure and microfluidic chip design and research 3D printing materials which can be used as cell and tissue engineering.   

Peer-Reviewed Journal Publications

"Creation of a hybrid scaffold with dual configuration of aligned and random electrospun fibers"
​Suk-Hee Park, Min Sung Kim, Byungjun Lee, Jean Ho Park, Hye Jin Lee, Nak Kyu Lee, Noo Li Jeon, and Kahp-Yang Suh
ACS Applied materials & interfaces, 8, 2826-2832 (2016)

"Hybrid microfabrication of nanofiber-based sheets and rods for tissue engineering applications"
Suk-Hee Park, Min Sung Kim, Dasom Lee, Yong Whan Choi, Deok-Ho Kim, and Kahp-Yang Suh
Journal of Laboratory, 18 494-503 (2013)

Micro/Nano Patterning

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In biomedical engineering, patterning or trapping of target specimen is required for high-throughput experiment. In this regard, application of fluid dynamics with biomedical engineering is crucial. 

We defined the dominant conditions that is required for microscopic fluid patterning ('Capillarity guided patterning of micro liquids in microfluidic chip’, Small, 2015). Based on the analysis, we suggested various design examples for 3D cell patterning.
Also, we demonstrated the possibility of multilayer patterning with UV curable material (polyethylene glycol diacrylate) and applied the concept to cancer angiogenesis organ-on-a-chip model.

We are exploring micro-liquid patterning over the open surface, expecting high throughput screening and 3D cell culture. 

Peer-Reviewed Journal Publications

"Capillarity Guided Patterning of Microliquids"
Myeongwoo Kang, Woohyun Park, Sangcheol Na, Sang-Min Paik, Hyunjae Lee, Jae Woo Park, Ho-Young Kim and Noo Li Jeon
Small, 11(23), 2789–2797 (2015)