General

Flower blog 1

Read the first of a new 3-part blog series diving into a recent publication in Nature Communications: "Flower dependent trafficking of lamellar bodies facilitates maturation of the epidermal barrier."

Organ-on-a-Chip technology: the key to reducing animal testing

Animal testing has played a vital role in advancing medical research by contributing to breakthroughs in drug development, drug safety, and disease understanding. However, despite these contributions, animal testing comes with significant limitations. Ethically, the practice raises serious concerns about animal welfare, prompting growing public opposition and calls for more humane alternatives

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOS) can potentially reduce allergy development

In the previous two blogs of this series, we have discussed the development of a functional invitro bronchial epithelial mucosal immune model. We also highlighted the current knowledgeabout HMOS in the context of immune development and asthma specifically. In this blog, weare going to evaluate the function of two specific HMOS, 2’FL and 3FL, in…

Breath taking: lung physiology explained

The lungs are vital organs responsible for gas exchange, ensuring that oxygen is delivered to thebloodstream while expelling carbon dioxide from the body. This exchange occurs in the alveoli,tiny air sacs with thin walls that allow e􀆯icient di􀆯usion of gases.

Flower dependent trafficking of lamellar bodies facilitates maturation of the epidermal barrier

Big news in skin science! A study in Nature Communications has uncovered a new detail about how our skin's protective barrier is formed. A protein called hFWE4 uses calcium to ensure vital building blocks are delivered to the skin's surface. Understanding this process is critical for future innovations in skin health and treatments for skin…

Comparing Transwell and Organ-on-Chip Cultures in Modern Biology

Impedance spectroscopy; what and why?

Impedance spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique widely used in in vitro testing to evaluate the barrier function of cell cultures. One of the most critical applications of impedance spectroscopy is in assessing the integrity of epithelial and endothelial cell layers through measurements such as trans epithelial/transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER). Transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and…

Project in the spotlight: EpiSense

Besides providing hardware and software for impedance spectroscopy, we are actively involved in several innovative projects. One of the projects is EpiSense, where a consortium (StratiCell, Locsense and Radboudumc) develops an EPIthelial SENSing, or EpiSense, solution that accurately measures the barrier function of skin constructs. This enables researchers to improve their scientific output and CRO’s…

The blood-brain barrier’s role in health and disease

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), as the name states, is a highly selective and protective interface between the bloodstream and the brain. It consists of endothelial cells that line the brain’s capillaries, forming tight junctions that restrict the passage of substances from the blood into the brain. This barrier serves several key functions [1]:

Importance of in vitro testing for the 3R’s

Animal testing has long been a fundamental aspect in biomedical research, toxicology studies, and drug development. However, ethical concerns and scientific limitations have driven the development of alternative methods that align with the principles of the 3R’s: replacement, reduction, and refinement. In vitro testing has emerged as one of the most promising approaches to achieving…