Microfluidic Devices for Organ-on-a-Chip Modeling: Lecture by Evgeny Knyazev at the Sixth Student Biochemical Forum at MSU
On 18 April 2026, during the Sixth Student Biochemical Forum at the Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Dr. Evgeny N. Knyazev, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor and Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Physiology at the HSE University Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, delivered an invited lecture entitled “Microfluidic Devices for Organ-on-a-Chip Modeling” within the “Advanced Research Methodologies” session.
On 18 April 2026, the Biology Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University hosted an invited lecture by Dr. Evgeny N. Knyazev as part of the Sixth Student Biochemical Forum. Evgeny Knyazev holds the degree of Candidate of Medical Sciences and serves as an Associate Professor at the joint department of the Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences and HSE University, as well as Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Physiology at the HSE University Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology. His lecture, entitled “Microfluidic Devices for Organ-on-a-Chip Modeling,” took place in the Large Biology Lecture Hall within the “Advanced Research Methodologies” section, chaired by Dr. Nikolai A. Lomov.
The Sixth Student Biochemical Forum is a scientific conference for students and early-career researchers held at the Faculty of Biology of Lomonosov Moscow State University from 17 to 19 April 2026. The program includes lectures by leading Russian scientists, student oral and poster presentations, and discussions on current topics in biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, physiology, medical biochemistry, and biotechnology. Accepted abstracts are published in the proceedings of the Forum, which are indexed in the Russian Science Citation Index.
In his talk, Evgeny Knyazev presented state-of-the-art approaches to the design and fabrication of microfluidic devices for organ-on-a-chip modeling — miniaturized platforms in which cells and tissues are cultured under precisely controlled microenvironmental conditions that reproduce key physiological parameters of organs in vivo. The lecture addressed the use of PDMS-based chips, optimization of their gas permeability and hydrodynamic properties, and integration of microfluidic systems with molecular biology and biochemical methods to study complex cellular responses to combined stimuli.
A separate part of the lecture focused on the application of organ-on-a-chip systems in fundamental and translational research: modeling barrier tissues, generating oxygen and nutrient gradients, assessing toxicity and efficacy of drug candidates, and building more physiologically relevant disease models compared to conventional two-dimensional cultures. The potential of such platforms for personalized medicine and advanced drug testing, including combined pharmacological and mechanical impacts, was also highlighted.
The presentation sparked an active discussion among participants of the “Advanced Research Methodologies” session, who raised questions on scalability of microfluidic platforms, experimental reproducibility, integration with high-throughput screening pipelines, and opportunities for collaboration between laboratories at different institutions. Examples of ongoing projects at the HSE Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, including the development of PDMS-based devices for modeling vascular and epithelial barriers, were also discussed.
The organizing committee of the Sixth Student Biochemical Forum emphasizes the importance of invited lectures as a key educational component of the conference, providing young researchers with exposure to cutting-edge experimental technologies and direct interaction with experts. Further information about the Forum and its program is available on the official website.
