Development of a microfluidic co-culture platform with integrated channel and flow dynamics to monitor taste cell–neuron responses to sweet and bitter tastants

Abstract Taste perception results from complex interactions between taste receptor cells and gustatory neurons, yet replicating these dynamics in vitro remains challenging. We present a microfluidic co-culture platform with programmable flow and compartment-specific stimulation, enabling precise replication of in vivo taste transduction. Unlike static or diffusion-based systems, our device delivers tastants exclusively to taste cells while maintaining complete neuronal isolation, preserving physiological signaling directionality. Live calcium imaging revealed sequential activation of rat taste cells and geniculate ganglion neurons in response to sweet (sucrose) and bitter (denatonium benzoate) stimuli, with reproducible temporal resolution. The design integrates a microliter-scale working volume, rapid washout, and modular architecture, allowing consistent performance across repeated trials. These features provide a versatile tool for high-throughput screening of taste modulators, modeling taste dysfunction, and advancing bioelectronic taste sensors. This work establishes both a robust methodology for analyzing gustatory communication and a scalable platform with direct potential in pharmacological testing, sensory device engineering, and neuroregeneration research.