# Core 1: Microfabication

> **NIH NIH U54** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $123,849

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Core 1 (Microfabication) 
The Microfabrication Core is a virtual infrastructure built upon the established microfabrication capacities in the 
laboratories of Drs. Fan and Levchenko, which have been geared toward innovative microfluidics and 
bioMEMS platforms for biomolecular and phenotypic analyses of cancer cells. It is also supported by the 
shared facility at Yale University West Campus. Specifically, the Core will support both Research Projects by 
fabricating and supplying nano-topographic patterned array substrata and microchip platforms as well as the 
assay services performed with them to i) measure single cancer cell migration and invasiveness in response to 
combination of external cues and genetic alterations to identify the molecular networks responsible for the P-A 
phenotypic switch, and ii) measure a panel of paracrine signals mediating heterotypic cell-cell communication 
that drive non-cell-autonomous mechanisms of invasive spread. In parallel, the Core will be a technology 
innovation center will develop novel technology platforms to enable new opportunities for scientific discoveries 
that cannot be achieved using the existing tools. Thus, the Core will be built upon substantial research in 
engineering innovation and represent an important component of the Yale's Cancer Systems Biology Center. 
Integration of the Core and the Research Projects will be performed according to the following research plan. 
First, fabrication of the nano-tographic patterned array substrata for directed cell migration measurement. 
Second, developing a microfluidic cell invasiveness assay chip via integrating the aforementioned substrata 
with microfluidic control of the cell media. This platform will be used to analyze melanoma and glioblastoma 
cell motility and quantify phenotypic heterogeneity (Project 1), and measure the influence of stromal cells and 
paracrine factors secreted therefrom (Project 2) on cancer cell invasiveness via further integration with the dual 
channel microfluidic co-culture device. Third, developing a microfluidic cell-cell communication assay 
microchip. This platform will be used to analyze how cell-cell communication alters the fate of cancer cells in a 
non-autonomous fashion (Project 2). The Core 1 will also function as a base to bridge engineering and biology 
to train cross-disciplinary cancer researchers and outreach activities. The Core will commit in trans-network 
collaboration and complement the resources cores in other U54 centers by offer microfabrication support.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10003292
- **Project number:** 5U54CA209992-05
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Rong Fan
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $123,849
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-08-08 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10003292

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10003292, Core 1: Microfabication (5U54CA209992-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10003292. Licensed CC0.

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