Lab-on-a-Chip & Microfluidics Asia, Organoids & Organ-on-a-Chip Asia 2025 Conference

Conference Registration, Materials Pick-Up, Coffee, Tea and Networking in the Exhibit Hall
会議の登録、資料の受け取り、展示ホールでのコーヒー・ティー・ネットワーキング

Session Title: Conference Plenary Session

Noah Malmstadt, Professor, Mork Family Dept. of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, University of Southern California

Welcome and Introduction to the Conference by Conference Chairperson
議長による歓迎と会議の紹介

Yoshinobu Baba, Professor, Nagoya University

Nanobiodevices and Quantum Life Science for Biomedical Applications

We have investigated nanobiodevices and quantum life science for biomedical applications and future healthcare. Nanowire devices are extremely useful to isolate extracellular vesicles from body fluids and vesicle-encapsulated microRNA analysis. The device composed of a microfluidic substrate with anchored nanowires gives us highly efficient collections of extracellular vesicles in body fluids and in situ extraction for huge numbers of miRNAs (2,500 types) more than the conventional ultracentrifugation method. Nanowire devices gave us the miRNA date for several hundred patients and machine learning system based on these miRNA data enabled us to develop the early-stage diagnosis for lung cancer, brain tumor, pancreas cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, and Parkinson disease. We succeeded to identify high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma-specific extracellular vesicles by polyketone-coated nanowires and the spatial exosome analysis using cellulose nanofiber sheets to reveal the location heterogeneity of extracellular vesicles. Nanowire-nanopore devices combined with AI (machine learning technique) enable us to develop mobile sensors for SARS-CoV-2, PM2.5, bacteria, and virus in the environment. Nanopore sensing is applied to the identification of viral vector characteristics with the sub-nm resolution. MEXT Quantum Leap Flagship Program (Q-LEAP), which I lead, has been developing biological nano quantum sensors, quantum technology-based MRI/NMR, and quantum biology and biotechnology. Nanodiamonds, with nitrogen-vacancy centers (NVC), and quantum dots are applied to develop quantum sensors for quantum switching intra vital imaging for iPS cell based regenerative medicine, and quantum photo immuno-therapeutic devices for cancer. Nanodiamond with NVC is applied to in situ measurements of intracellular thermal conductivity and implication of thermal signaling in neuronal differentiation revealed by manipulation and measurement of intracellular temperature. Hyprepolarized MRI is applied to the direct monitoring of the dynamic in vivo metabolisms of hyperpolarized 13C-oligopeptides for early diagnosis of cancer and side effects of cancer treatment drugs.

Chwee Teck Lim, NUSS Chair Professor, National University of Singapore

Gut Microbiome-on-a-Chip: Insights into Gut Pathogenesis and Therapy
GMoC（Gut Microbiome-on-a-Chip）：腸の発症機序と治療への洞察

The human gut microbiota plays a critical role in gut health and disease, yet understanding the complex interactions between microbial constituents and the gut remains limited due to the lack of physiologically relevant in vitro models. Here, I will present a Gut Microbiome-on-a-Chip (GMoC)-a scalable platform with high imaging capability that enables dynamic visualization of gut-microbe interactions. Our system incorporates a 3D stratified gut epithelium (µGut) derived from Caco-2 cells, closely mimicking intestinal architecture and function. Using enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF), we demonstrate its pathogenic effects on µGut integrity and pro-tumorigenic signaling activation. Furthermore, pre-treatment with Lactobacillus spp. effectively prevents ETBF-induced gut disruption through competition-mediated colonization resistance. This study highlights GMoC as a powerful tool for investigating microbe-induced pathogenesis and developing microbiome-based therapeutics. Our findings provide new insights into gut microbial interactions and their implications for gut health and disease.

Mid-Morning Coffee and Tea Break in the Exhibit Hall and Networking with Exhibitors and Poster Presenters

Levent Yobas, Professor, Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong

Electrokinetic Separation of Extracellular Vesicles
細胞外小胞（EV）の動電的分離

Extracellular vesicles, specifically exosomes, play a crucial role in various biological processes, including cell-to-cell communication and intercellular delivery. Additionally, exosomes are regarded as liquid biopsy biomarkers for diagnostic applications. However, their submicron size presents challenges in isolating exosomes from other cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). In this talk, we will explore microfluidic devices designed to separate EVs using electrokinetic methods.

Martyn Boutelle, Professor of Biomedical Sensors Engineering, Imperial College London, United Kingdom

Real-Time Microfluidic Devices for Healthcare - Applications in the NICU

As a person’s physiological regulation of biomarker molecules is challenged by acute illness, exposure to toxins or even surgery, the concentration these molecules can give important information about their health. For premature infants their regulation systems have yet to mature, so they can also suffer rapid changes in biomarker concentrations. Our view is that to monitor such biomarker changes effectively ideally requires moment-by-moment measurement of blood or tissue concentrations. The person acts as their own control allowing acute deterioration to be noticed quickly.

We have been developing a range of sensing and biosensing solutions for the invasive, minimally invasive, and non-invasive monitoring of people in healthcare situations. Microfluidics coupled to novel biosensors provide a valuable means of clinical sampling and robust quantification of measured biomarkers.

I will describe the key challenges in the development of such integrated microfluidic sensing devices and present our recent data from the neonatal intensive care unit amongst other projects.

Tingrui Pan, Yangtze River Chair Professor, University of Science and Technology of China

Biomedical Intelligence Enabled by Robotic-Microfluidic Interface

Among the critical breakthroughs that have advanced chemical and biomedical research is the development of microfluidic technologies. The utility of microfluidic devices enables precisely processing small amounts (10^-9 to 10^-18 L) of fluids and manipulating biological particles in the range of nano- to micro-meters, and thus boosts our capabilities in discovering and measuring targets of interest that were previously inaccessible. However, the automation of such delicate devices that can fulfill experiment workflow and augment the most laboratory functionalities remain work in progress due to the lack of an efficient world-to-chip (macro-to-micro) interfaces. In this presentation, we will discuss several microfluidic-based analytical platforms for automated biological tasks and analyses, such as microfluidic cap-to-dispense (μCD), microfluidic adaptive printing (MAP), and robotic-microfluidic interface (RoMI). These platforms offer highly flexible motion and programmable execution, enabling seamless automation of liquid handling and particle manipulation. We will delve into the system design and corresponding applications related to molecule detection, protein discovery, and cell manipulation in detail. In summary, our work introduces the technical basis of the groundbreaking world-to-chip platforms toward biological automation and intelligence for interdisciplinary biomedical studies.

Networking Lunch in the Exhibit Hall -- Network with Colleagues, View Posters and Engage with Exhibitors

**Japanese Bento Lunch**

Session Title: Technology Trends in Lab-on-a-Chip and Microfluidics Fields

Liang Zhao, Associate Professor, Beijing University of Technology, China

Electrochemical Analysis of 3D Cell Spheroids on an Integrated Microfluidic Device

Three-dimensional (3D) multicellular spheroids have emerged as powerful tools for modeling solid tissues and organs, offering superior recapitulation of human diseases compared to traditional 2D cultures. However, current measurements often involved destructive treatment on cells such as lysis, fix, and staining, impairing real-time detection and monitoring cellular events. Herein, we developed an integrated microfluidic chip that can leverage electrochemical modality to assess the physiological activity of on-chip cultured 3D cell aggregates, including the metabolic process, drug resistance, and even differentiation. The non-destructive and label-free mode of electrochemical analysis allows us to dissect above information without interfering the live cell clumps, offering a unique way to implement the organ-on-chip technology.

Han Wei Hou, Associate Professor, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University Singapore

Decentralizing and Standardizing Blood Processing Using Label-Free Microfluidics

Blood is a highly complex biofluid which contains a myriad of information about a person’s health and medical conditions. Due to the vast cellular background, gentle and efficient sample preparation is critical for liquid biopsy and blood-based diagnostics. Centrifugation in centralized labs remains the gold standard for clinical blood processing but is increasingly limited by demand for better cell or plasma quality with the paradigm shift towards precision public health and medicine. Microfluidics technologies are powerful sample preparation and analytical tools as they offer unprecedented detection resolution and sensitivity with potential for automation and clinical adoption. In this talk, I will give an overview of different inertial microfluidics-based cell sorting platform technologies for high throughput microscale to nanoscale isolation of leukocytes, platelets and extracellular vesicles from blood directly. Integrated with electrical-based impedance-deformability cytometry for single cell biophysical profiling, we developed and clinically validated a user-friendly workflow for label-free point-of-care immunoprofiling in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Masatoshi Maeki, Associate Professor, Hokkaido University, Japan

Microfluidic-based Engineered Lipid Nanoparticle Production for RNA Delivery

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are rapidly emerging as a leading drug delivery vehicle, with the success of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 highlighting their potential. Recently, microfluidic devices have been widely adopted for the production of LNPs. Microfluidics offer numerous advantages for LNP production, including precise control over LNP size, high reproducibility, and potential for mass production. We have developed a microfluidic device, iLiNP, featuring baffle structures. These baffle structures enable rapid and efficient mixing of lipids and aqueous solutions at high flow rates. This controlled fluid dynamic environment promotes uniform self-assembly of LNPs with tunable properties. The iLiNP device has been successfully employed to encapsulate various therapeutic agents, including siRNA, mRNA, pDNA, and genome editing enzymes (Ribonucleoproteins). This presentation will highlight our recent progress in scalable and reproducible LNP manufacturing using iLiNP devices. Furthermore, we will discuss the potential of iLiNP in engineering biomimetic nanoparticles, such as virus-like particles and artificial exosomes, for enhanced drug delivery and vaccine applications.

Mid-Afternoon Coffee and Tea Break in the Exhibit Hall and Networking with Exhibitors and Poster Presenters

Noah Malmstadt, Professor, Mork Family Dept. of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, University of Southern California

A Deep Dive into the Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs) Field and Current State of Research

　　

Sven Kreutel, CEO, Particle Metrix, Inc.

ZetaView Evolution: A New Edge for Nanoparticle Characterization

Networking Reception with Japanese Beer and Sake -- Engage with Exhibitors, Colleagues and View Posters

Close of Day 1 Conference Programming

Morning Coffee, Tea and Networking in the Exhibit Hall

Session Title: Microphysiological Systems (MPS): Current Status and Emerging Themes -- Organs-on-Chips -- Collaborative Models from Across Asia and Around the World Driving Research Activities

Seiichi Ishida, Guest Researcher, National Institute of Health Sciences, Professor, Sojo University, Japan

Title to be Confirmed
タイトルは確認中

Ivan Rusyn, University Professor, Texas A&M University, United States of America

Testing and Qualification of Microphysiological Systems Through Academia-Industry-Government Collaboration

The rapid explosion of the offerings in microphysiological systems space and persistent publicity have placed high expectations on both the industry and regulatory agencies to adopt these models in safety and efficacy evaluations. Some end-users became early adopters, whereas others have taken a more cautious approach because of the high cost and uncertainties of the value that microphysiological systems may have. The TEX-VAL Consortium was established through competitive funding from NIH-NCATS to assist academic developers of tissue chips to understand whether their technology is ready to be transferred to the end-users. After 4 years of NIH support, it evolved into a public-private collaboration focused on testing and qualification of various promising platforms before they would find their way into member organization’s laboratories. By pooling the resources, several drug and consumer health companies, government agencies, and a trade association are defining potential contexts of use, designing focused experiments, and evaluating the data to determine whether each technology is “ready” to be relied upon in their own decision-making workflows. This presentation will describe how this Consortium operates and the outcomes from 7+ years of testing over 30 diverse models and the practical aspects of using microphysiological systems in the context of their potential application to decision-making.

Danilo Tagle, Director, Office of Special Initiatives, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the NIH (NCATS)

Title to be Confirmed
タイトルは確認中

Mid-Morning Coffee and Tea Break in the Exhibit Hall and Networking with Exhibitors and Poster Presenters

Ryuji Yokokawa, Professor, Department of Micro Engineering, Kyoto University, Japan

Development of hiPSC-Derived Microphysiological Systems (MPS) to Emulate Viral Pathogenesis

We have employed two approaches to create the interface between organ cells and vascular networks: a two-dimensional method in which organ cells and vascular endothelial cells are co-cultured on a porous membrane such as Transwell (2D-MPS), and a three-dimensional method in which the spontaneous patterning ability of vascular endothelial cells is utilized (3D-MPS). In this presentation, I will focus on MPS that emulate virus infections and resulting impact on epithelial and endothelial tissues, where we modeled bronchi, airway, alveoli, and blood vessels. Using 2D-MPS, we developed models to mimic proximal (airway) and distal (alveolar) lung regions using isogenic human iPSC-derived lung progenitors. When infected with SARS-CoV-2 or influenza, the airway chip elicited a strong interferon (IFN)-driven antiviral response, while the alveolar chip showed dysregulated IFN signaling and elevated chemokine activity. We demonstrated that influenza induced more severe cytopathic effects and immune activation than SARS-CoV-2 in both models. Thus, this chip platform captures distinct, region-specific innate immune reactions and tissue damage patterns to respiratory viruses. We also present a 3D-MPS integrating bronchial organoids (BOs) with a vascular bed (VB) to investigate tissue-level interactions during SARS-CoV-2 infection. We found that infection of BOs led to significant disruption of vascular structure. This effect was mediated by type I interferons (IFN-I) secreted from the infected airway epithelium. Suppression of IFN-I signaling through gene knockout or JAK/STAT inhibition prevented vascular damage. These MPS for infectious diseases offer a powerful tool for mechanistic studies and preclinical antiviral screening in future pandemic.

Presentation Title to be Confirmed

Networking Lunch in the Exhibit Hall -- Network with Colleagues, View Posters and Engage with Exhibitors

**Japanese Bento Lunch**

Session Title: Application Areas for Lab-on-a-Chip and Microfluidics Platforms

Jing Chen, Founder & CEO, Hicomp Microtech, United States of America

Presentation Title to be Confirmed

Amy Shen, Professor and Provost, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), Japan

Title to be Confirmed
タイトルは確認中

Daniel Citterio, Professor, Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Japan

1D and 2D Barcode Strategies for Semiquantitative Signal Readout of Colorimetric Microfluidic Paper-Based Analytical Devices

Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) have evolved into practically useful tools for point-of-need analysis. In contrast to naked eye signal readout methods, the combination of colorimetric µPADs with smartphone cameras eliminates issues associated with user-dependent subjective result interpretation, while preserving the simplicity expected from these tools. The conversion of colorimetric signals into smartphone-readable barcodes offers a particularly promising route toward intuitive, low-cost semiquantitative assays not requiring any sophisticated equipment. In this presentation, two strategies for barcode-mediated analyte detection on µPADs are introduced. The first approach employs color change distance-based signaling combined with multiple inkjet-printed analyte-selective QR codes masked by a non-responsive ink layer. Upon analyte-induced color change, the QR codes are sequentially unmasked and decoded using a generic smartphone app, enabling concentration-dependent digital readout without the need for custom software. The second strategy advances the concept by implementing a single 1D barcode with analyte-dependent bar-width modulation, realized through distance-based color formation in a multilayered µPAD architecture. This method enables semiquantitative readout with standard barcode reader apps. Together, these methods highlight possibilities of using known barcode formats-QR and 1D-and show their adaptability to diverse assay chemistries while ensuring smartphone compatibility, robustness across devices, and minimal user training. This fusion of digital encoding with optical chemical sensing provides new opportunities for accessible analytical assays in point-of-need and decentralized settings.

Mid-Afternoon Coffee and Tea Break in the Exhibit Hall and Networking with Exhibitors and Poster Presenters

Hirofumi Shintaku, Professor, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Japan

Single Cell Mechano Phenotyping and Sequencing

The mechanical properties of both cells and their microenvironment are critical determinants of cellular states and functions. We present high-throughput approaches for profiling these mechano-phenotypes at the single-cell level and integrating them with gene expression data. To characterize cellular mechanical properties, we developed ELASTomics-Electroporation-based Lipid-Assay for Surface Tension and transcriptomics. ELASTomics uniquely harnesses nanopore electroporation, which creates transient pores in lipid bilayers in a cell surface tension-dependent manner. This enables profiling of cell surface tension by delivering DNA-tagged dextran molecules into cells. Using ELASTomics, we uncover mechanical heterogeneity among cells and identify regulatory mechanisms linked to cancer malignancy, cell differentiation, and senescence. To investigate how cancer cells respond to their mechanical microenvironment, we developed MECH-seq-Micro-Environmental Confinement and Hydrogel-bead cytometry with sequencing. MECH-seq profiles the proliferative behavior of cancer cells under mechanical confinement using hydrogel beads at high thrroughput. Since cancer cells encounter mechanical stress in both primary and metastatic sites, understanding their responses is crucial. We show that micro-mechanical confinement suppresses the proliferation of breast cancer cells and induces a dormant state.

Jin-Ming Lin, Professor, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, China

Microfluidic Chip Combined with Mass Spectrometer for Single Cell Analysis

The micron-scale space of the microfluidic chips can be well matched to the cell size, which can easily simulate and precisely manipulate the cell growth microenvironment, and is an ideal platform for studying cell-cell interactions, signal transduction and communication, and cellular drug metabolism and delivery. Our research group has carried out research related to the development and application of open microfluidic chip and mass spectrometry, successfully developed the world's first microfluidic chip mass spectrometry analysis device, and industrialized the technology transfer enterprises. This report mainly introduces the development of microfluidic chip combined with mass spectrometry for single cell analysis.

Dino Di Carlo, Armond and Elena Hairapetian Chair in Engineering and Medicine, Professor and Chair of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, United States of America

Title to be Confirmed
タイトルは確認中