Three-dimensional mechanical compression of biomaterials in a microfabricated bioreactor with on-chip strain sensors

This paper reports a microfabricated mechanical testing platform, its use for biomaterial stiffness measurements, and its preparation for dynamic mechanical stimulation of arrayed tissue samples. We present measured structural and mechanical properties of hydrogel materials and demonstrate that human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) can be cultured in 3D gels within the platform. By integrating microfluidics and dynamic mechanical environments, this platform provides suitable culture conditions for arrayed load-bearing tissue constructs.