The tubular structure (top) and the cross-section (bottom) depict an artificial blood vessel we constructed using techniques borrowed from the microelectronics industry. The green dots are the endothelial cell nuclei and the purple network of fibers are actin filaments, the backbone of cell architecture.

These experiments with on-chip blood vessels allow us to replicate physiological vasculature in vitro that can support mini-organs. With these techniques, we can better study how healthy and diseased liver cells replicate in response to physiological inputs such as fluid flow.