Xin Zhang

Microfluidic Biosensor for Monitoring Cilia Formation on Renal Proximal Tubule Epithelium

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The renal proximal tubule is a segment of the kidney’s nephron that actively carries out endocrine and regulatory functions, most notably filtration. The proximal tubule also serves as the primary site of local interstitial accumulation of drugs within the kidney. Nephrotoxicity induced by this accumulation, as well as kidney injury, typically account for 20% of drug attrition during phase III clinical trials. This late detection of nephrotoxicity is largely due to the poor predictive value of animal models resulting from interspecies variability, and a lack of widely accepted human cell line in vitro models. Therefore, optimized methods for renal toxicity prediction are fundamental to maximizing patient safety and improving the drug development success rate.

In this project, we will develop a microfluidic biosensor for monitoring cilia formation on the surface of renal epithelial cells. Tissue level viability will be observed through confocal microscopy of tight junctions and primary cilia. Students will explore the dynamics of embedded microelectronics and correlate electrical readouts of the cells to changes in these physiological parameters.

LABORATORY MENTOR

Ryan McNaughton and Samuel Kann

RESEARCH GOALS

-Validate methods to measure electric field changes within the microfluidic channel.
-Develop methods for automated counting of primary cilia from confocal images.
-Measure cilia formation and epithelium viability using impedance measurements.
-Correlate confocal and electrical measurements.

LEARNING GOALS

-Learn about conventional microelectrode fabrication techniques.
-Learn about the nephron and renal proximal tubule epithelium physiology.
-Learn how immunochemistry and confocal microscopy observe cell viability.
-Learn about software for simulating electric field distributions.
-Learn the basics of impedance sensing and its application in microfluidic biosensing.

Learn more about Professor Zhang on her faculty page.