Contraction Measurements of Cardiomyocytes Grown on Silicon Cantilevers

Microcantilevers on polysilicon were manufactured and living cardiomyocytes cells from neonatal rat hearts were cultured on top of them. The cells self-organize and start to contract after three days incubation. Moving the beams on which they are attached allows the measurement of the contractile force exerted by the cardiomyocytes. With this simple setup, the evaluation of the mechanical response of the cells due to changes in medium composition or temperature can be performed.