Silvia Tea Calzuola

In microfluidic systems, the continuous perfusion of cell nutrients and the mechanical shear on the cell surface are two key factors that narrow the gap between the in vivo and in vitro conditions. In gut-on-chip systems, this greater physiological relevance leads to more accurate predictions of intestinal permeability and transport phenomena compared to two-dimensional cell systems. However, guts-on-chip are still limited on quantitative experimental readouts and they lack non-invasive quality control assays to evaluate the integrity and functionality of cultured cells.

As part of my Ph.D. project, under the supervision of Jasmina Vidic, I am developing a gut-on-chip with integrated TEER sensors to enable quick, non-invasive, real-time monitoring of intestinal barrier functionality. The device will be used to study the effects of Listeria infection on the gut.
I obtained bachelor’s degree in “Biomedical engineering” in 2017 at the Polytechnic school of Milan, Italy, where I also completed my master degree in “Biotechnology and tissue engineering” in 2020, with the thesis entitled “Optimization and validation of a hydrostatic pressure & perfusion bioreactor to study the effects of mechanotransduction on engineered cartilage”. Before starting my Ph.D. in August 2021, I worked as ad production manager assistant at Sirton Pharmaceuticals, in Como, Italy.