Utilizing a unique microfluidic device to deliver proteins into the cytoplasm of iPSCs, we direct iPSC differentiation into cardiac lineages to develop safe, efficient, and robust production of patient-specific cell lines for cell replacement therapies and cardiovascular tissue engineering applications. The microfluidic device contains constrictions which induce membrane pore formation in stem cells due to rapid mechanical deformation, allowing for cytosolic protein delivery. Delivered proteins will be chosen by proteomic analysis of cardiovascular lineages and derivation of protein interactions maps.
