Big Ideas at µScale Episode 12 - Can immune cells thrive inside a 3D-printed chip?

In this episode of Big Ideas at Microscale, we speak with Rebecca Pompano, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia, and Hannah Musgrove, former PhD student in the Pompano Lab and now a postdoctoral researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Together, we explore their work developing lymph-node-on-chip models to study how the immune system responds to vaccines, cancer, and autoimmune disease, and how 3D printing is transforming the way these microfluidic devices are designed and fabricated. We cover the transition from traditional SU-8 and PDMS fabrication to resin 3D printing, reducing device development time from days to hours. We also discuss the challenges of keeping sensitive lymphocytes alive inside printed devices, the discovery of Parylene C coatings to improve biocompatibility, and practical approaches to achieving optical clarity. Along the way, we explore tubing-free impeller pumps for multi-organ chips and the future of immune-response modelling for drug development. So whether you're passionate about immunology, microfluidics, or 3D printing for biomedical research, this episode is for you. 👉 For full show notes, transcriptions, and additional resources, visit: https://cadworks3d.com/discover/big-i... 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Rebecca Pompano and Hannah Musgrove 01:49 Research Background: From Analytical Chemistry to Microfluidics 06:00 Transitioning from Traditional Microfluidics to 3D Printing 08:06 Faster Microfluidic Device Development: Days to Hours 10:39 Hannah Musgrove’s Path into Microfluidics and 3D Printing 13:17 Treating 3D Printers as Scientific Instruments 16:28 Resin Selection for Lymphoid Tissue Research 18:23 Key Material Requirements: Biocompatibility, Optical Clarity, and Resolution 21:46 Improving Biocompatibility with Parylene C Coatings 26:00 Overcoming Biocompatibility Challenges in 3D-Printed Chips 33:09 Why Cell Compatibility Depends on Cell Type 35:08 Developing Multiorgan Co-Culture Models 36:48 Improving Reproducibility with Integrated 3D-Printed Devices 39:24 Challenges of Fluid Recirculation in Organ-on-a-Chip Systems 43:01 Developing Onboard Impeller Pumps for Tubing-Free Devices 48:44 Remaining Challenges in Resin Selection and Biocompatibility 55:38 Improving Optical Clarity Through Surface Finishing 1:01:18 From Microfluidics to Materials Science and Surface Engineering 1:05:33 Lymphobio: Predicting Human Immune Responses on a Chip