Placenta-on-a-chip: Microsensor simulates malaria in the womb to develop treatments

By combining microbiology with engineering technologies, researchers are developing a first-of-its-kind 3D model that uses a single microfluidic sensing chip to study the complicated processes that take place in malaria-infected placenta as well as other placenta-related diseases and pathologies. The chip will mimic the microenvironment of placental malaria, specifically the maternal-fetal interface.