BioFlux Shear Flow Systems: Mimic True Biology

Many physiological processes take place under flow conditions: blood flowing through the vasculature, cells migrating through the endothelium, and biofilms forming in tissue. BioFlux shear flow systems provide researchers with the power to introduce physiological and pathological shear flow, along with environmental gas and temperature control, effectively emulating in vivo conditions and revealing the cells’ true biology. BioFlux bridges the gap between in vitro and in vivo experiments by mimicking the experience of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells in nature. BioFlux enhances cell cultures and assays in many areas of investigation, including cardiovascular/atherosclerosis, oncology, immunology, hematology, and microbiology.

Unlike do-it-yourself (DIY) parallel plate flow chambers, slide-based flow cells, and Boyden chambers, BioFlux systems are straightforward, consisting of only a controller, a plate, a controller-plate interface, and tubes for air flow. Quality-controlled disposable BioFlux plates have microfluidic channels embedded between sets of wells with coverslip glass viewing windows for imaging. BioFlux uses pneumatic air pressure to drive liquid movement between experimental well sets, not through tubes, drastically reducing both setup and cleanup time compared to DIY flow chambers and slide-based flow cells. The novel design of BioFlux systems allows accurate and consistent application of shear flow rates between 0-200 dynes/cm2, even using whole blood. Additionally, the rigid quality control of BioFlux plates ensures the full functionality of all plates, including the ability to create and maintain tight seals between the plate and controller-plate interface, effectively reducing biohazards from leaks. BioFlux plates are highly flexible to meet the unique needs of different laboratories. Plates are available in 6, 24, and 48-well formats and are made with glass, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), or custom substrate bottoms. Users can achieve high throughput imaging of up to 24 experiments by growing, assaying, and imaging all within the BioFlux plates. This gives scientists the ability to study physiological adhesion, rolling, and transmigration across cell monolayers. The straightforward acquisition of high-resolution images through coverslip glass, combined with dual gas and pulsatile flow, empowers researchers with the ability to conduct customized assays to meet their flexible research requirements.

Furthermore, the dual-inlets of 24-well BioFlux plates overcome the limitations of scratch wound, chemotaxis, transmigration, and cancer invasion assays by creating parallel flow streams within a single microfluidic channel. This enables clean and consistent enzymatic wounding, as well as cell movement assays with greater physiological relevance than static assays. In addition to investigations of mammalian cells, BioFlux also provides a boost to microbiology labs. The well plate format is ideal for testing multiple antimicrobial agents against healthy and robust biofilms. The 6-well plate format is ideal for long-term experiments that require multiple days of shear flow. In addition to the biological enhancement that BioFlux provides to many cell-based assays, unlike do-it-yourself parallel plate flow chambers, BioFlux assays are highly reliable and reproducible. The typical coefficient of variation between BioFlux experiments is less than 10%.

The power of BioFlux shear flow systems has been demonstrated by the publication of more than 300 peer-reviewed manuscripts using 20+ assays over 10 years. BioFlux 200+ is the shear flow system for labs that are satisfied with their current inverted microscope. BioFlux 200+ includes pulsatile flow, dual-gas, and is compatible with most inverted microscopes, provided that certain components are in place. BioFlux 1000HT has all the features of BioFlux 200+ and also includes a customizable high-quality microscope with a fully automated stage. BioFlux 1000HT is ideal for highly productive labs that require physiological imaging in high throughput. BioFlux systems increase the production of consistent, physiological images and videos to make quality research stand out.