ShearFAST APK

Initial public release

Visit our website: https://ecocyto.wixsite.com/shearfast
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About ShearFAST:

Fluid shear stress (FSS) is a key environmental stimulus which is known to modulate cell biology in health and disease.
Cell rockers, omnipresent in medical research laboratories can deliver constant fluid flux over cultured cells through their see-saw motion (1), and have been used to identify diverse effects of shear stress in numerous cell types (2-6).

However, aside from the complex mathematics, defining the level of shear stress generated requires high resolution characterisation of the rocking profiles set on the cell rocker- specifications which are not really accessible using the rocker itself.

Fortunately, the technology which could overcome these barriers is already in the hands of researchers around the world. Smartphones are capable of detecting changes in orientation and performing complex mathematics. Pairing smartphones with cell rockers is an intuitive step that could facilitate greater experimentation with fluid shear stress in biomedical research.

Introducing ShearFAST

ShearFAST( Formula, Angle, Speed Toolset) (7) is a novel smartphone application which detects the rocking angle and frequency set on laboratory cell rocker. ShearFAST uses these measurements, and a well-established mathematical model (1) to calculate the characteristic shear stress the cultured cells experience on the rocker.

ShearFASTs assessment of rocking profiles have been validated by two independent approaches (7) and the formula tool successfully reproduces example data from the article defining the mathematical model used (1).

Available for free, ShearFAST is a novel approach which facilitates easier, more accurate and more reproducible fluid shear stress experiments

References

1. Zhou X, Liu D, You L, Wang L. Quantifying fluid shear stress in a rocking culture dish. J Biomech [Internet]. 2010 May 28 [cited 2016 Apr 26];43(8):1598–602. Available from: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2866761&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract
2. Wang W, Sarazin BA, Kornilowicz G, Lynch ME. Mechanically-Loaded Breast Cancer Cells Modify Osteocyte Mechanosensitivity by Secreting Factors That Increase Osteocyte Dendrite Formation and Downstream Resorption. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2019 May 5];9:352. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30034365
3. Cha B, Geng X, Mahamud MR, Fu J, Mukherjee A, Kim Y, et al. Mechanotransduction activates canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling to promote lymphatic vascular patterning and the development of lymphatic and lymphovenous valves. Genes Dev [Internet]. 2016 Jun 15 [cited 2017 Jul 20];30(12):1454–69. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27313318
4. Gater R, Ipek T, Sadiq S, Nguyen D, Jones L, El Haj A, et al. Investigation of Conjunctival Fibrosis Response Using a 3D Glaucoma Tenon’s Capsule + Conjunctival Model. Investig Opthalmology Vis Sci [Internet]. 2019 Feb 6 [cited 2020 May 16];60(2):605. Available from: http://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.1167/iovs.18-25335
5. Mohammed SG, Arjona FJ, Latta F, Bindels RJM, Roepman R, Hoenderop JGJ. Fluid shear stress increases transepithelial transport of Ca 2+ in ciliated distal convoluted and connecting tubule cells. FASEB J [Internet]. 2017 May 18 [cited 2020 May 16];31(5):1796–806. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1096/fj.201600687RRR
6. Hyler AR, Baudoin NC, Brown MS, Stremler MA, Cimini D, Davalos R V, et al. Fluid shear stress impacts ovarian cancer cell viability, subcellular organization, and promotes genomic instability. PLoS One [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2019 May 5];13(3):e0194170. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29566010
7. Smith TB, Nunzio AM De, Patel K, Munford H, Alam T, Powell O, et al. ShearFAST: a user-friendly in vitro toolset for high throughput, inexpensive fluid shear stress experiments. bioRxiv. 2020 Feb 2;2020.01.31.929513.