There is an urgent need for scalable microphysiological systems (MPS) that can better predict drug efficacy and toxicity at the preclinical screening stage. An ideal preclinical model that can accurately predict clinical response does not exist however the use of MPS can help bridge the translational gap by providing more accurate representation of human susceptibility to drug response.
Hooke Bio’s Mera is an automated, modular and scalable system for culturing and assaying microtissues with interconnected fluidics, inbuilt environmental control and automated image capture. The system presented has microfluidic flow control and multiple possible fluidics modes, the primary mode allowing cells to be matured into a desired microtissue type and the secondary mode where the fluid flow can be re-orientated to create a body-on-a-plate-format with recirculating circuits composed of inter-connected channels to allow microtissue communication.
We present the groundwork for the Mera system to be used as a viable option for scalable microtissue culture and assay development for preclinical drug development.