The expert who brings shape and flow into your project
Regenerative Medicine Utrecht (RMU) is a large community of researchers and clinicians from UMC Utrecht, Utrecht University (the Faculties of Science and Veterinary Medicine), and the Hubrecht Institute. Our people are diverse and yet connected by their passion for regenerative medicine, shared state-of-the-art facilities, and interdisciplinary collaborations. And there is one researcher who stands in the middle of all this: Dr. Yang Li, postdoc at the Department of Orthopaedics, UMC Utrecht. But he is more than just a postdoc: he is a spider in the web. Within RMU, he is weaving fine connections between research topics and research methods, between departments, faculties and institutions.
Regenerative medicine aims to regrow, repair or replace damaged or diseased cells, organs or tissues. For this type of research, a culture flask or petri dish is rarely sufficient. Our cultures require complex scaffolds, defined 3D environments and physiological flow. Every research line has specific requirements; often the availability or specificity of systems becomes the biggest challenge for researchers, especially if they have no engineering background.
From chemical engineering-based microfluidics to organ-on-a-chip
During his PhD in Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry at University of Toronto, Dr. Yang Li investigated how hydrogel particles translocate through a narrow segment in a microfluidic chip, in order to mimic thromboembolism. His project led him into the world of microfluidics, a multidisciplinary field of science and biophysical techniques. His modeling system aroused his interest in organ-on-a-chip research, where he can use his expertise in microfluidics to build advanced in vitro models. This is the reason why he joined RMU:
“My transition from chemical engineering-based microfluidics to organ-on-a-chip started with offering my technical expertise to different research lines within RMU. In these collaborations, I have also started to co-supervise students together with the cell biology experts within their own fields.”
Dr. Yang Li established collaborations that enrich the RMU and Utrecht Advanced in vitro models hub (U-AIM) communities. As an expert of various (bio)fabrication techniques, he literally gives shape to projects. He is closely involved with the design, development and production of culture systems. He is skilled in building microfluidic chips from scratch to accommodate their applications for bioreactors and organ-on-a-chip studies. His work ranges from designing 2D/3D digital files to the microfabrication of the chips with multiple equipment and techniques (soft lithography, fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer, digital light processing (DLP) 3D printer, etc.).
“Thanks to the variety of fabrication possibilities in our Utrecht biofabrication facility, we could always aim for the appropriate materials and methods to build up the microfluidic chips.”
The added value for collaborators
At UMC Utrecht, Dr. Susanna Piluso (Department of Orthopaedics) is developing a joint-on-chip model that includes key tissues of the human joint and fully recapitulates the in vivo microenvironment. This model could help for the screening of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of joint disorders. “One of the joint tissues we want to mimic is the synovial membrane. Dr. Yang Li helped me to design a microfluidic device that can mimic the interface between the synovial lining and synovial cavity. In addition, his contribution has been instrumental to mimic the effect of fluid-flow induced shear stress on synovial cells.”
"His technical skills and creativity enable the creation of models in which biological questions can be answered."
At the Faculty of Science, Anne Metje van Genderen (Division of Pharmacology) is developing a vascularized proximal tubule model. While she works on the biological aspect, Dr. Yang Li is optimizing the chips for compatibility: “Over the past years, I have had the privilege to work with Dr. Yang Li on several projects. Due to his great technical knowledge and creative solutions, he has been helpful at many stages of our projects. He is able to couple our ideas and biological requirements to custom-made products.”
Also at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, collaborator Dr. Frank Steenbeek (Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals) found a match in expertise: “Dr. Yang Li is my collaborator on two different projects which involve the formation of vascular networks, in which we both are complementary. His technical skills and creativity enable the creation of models in which biological questions can be answered.”
Ultimate goal at the ultimate place
When asked about his ultimate goal, Dr. Yang Li replied: “Animal-free research, as a definite trend to follow, but there is still a long way to go.” As expert at U-AIM, he wants to facilitate the transition to animal-free research by merging various fabrication techniques to build reliable in vitro platforms: “The novelty of such platform is a great concern of academia, but we should also not neglect the requirement of consistency and reliability for end users, when the platform eventually becomes a product. Personally, I prefer the importance of the latter as it seems to have a greater impact to the public.”
According to Dr. Yang Li, the unique collaboration atmosphere within RMU and U-AIM is one of the best features of the communities. “I really appreciate the special location of Jos Malda’s group at UMC Utrecht, which is closely linked to the biofabrication facility, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and the Faculty of Science. This is a world-wide unique position, where you can reach out to experts in diverse fields in such an effortless way. Occasionally, I even feel overwhelmed with the information and knowledge from various research topics, but I am always grateful for where I am.”
And we are proud of his contributions! If you want to bring more shape and/or flow into your project, simply drop him an e-mail: y.li@umcutrecht.nl
This blog is written by Katja Jansen (RMU communications officer (2019-2020) and PhD candidate in Drug Innovation (2016-2020)).