Microtechnological approaches in stem cell science

Abstract

Stem cells are versatile materials in biomedical research with applications in regenerative medicine, drug discovery, biosensors, and developmental and disease models. Many of the current technologies used by biologists are restricted to a macroscale level of control, which has impeded precise manipulation of spatial and temporal features of the cellular microenvironment. Microtechnologies developed in engineering are powerful tools for addressing existing challenges in stem cell biology by permitting control of cellular behaviors at scales matching those of biological processes. Many of these approaches demonstrate feasibility in opening a new era in the therapeutic application of stem cells. In this chapter, we introduce biologically relevant microtechnologies and present their applications in stem cell science.