Microfluidic model of the blood brain barrier

A method of culturing cells, comprising:

• a) providing a microfluidic device comprising a porous membrane, said membrane comprising a top surface and a bottom surface;
• b) seeding brain microvascular endothelial cells on said bottom surface so as to create seeded-cells on said bottom surface of said membrane;
• c) seeding stem cell-derived neuronal cells or neuronal cells differentiated from stem cells on said top surface to create seeded cells on said top surface of said membrane;
• and
• d) culturing said top surface seeded cells under flow conditions that support the maturation of neurons and culturing said bottom surface seeded cells under conditions that support maturation of said brain microvascular endothelial cells wherein said neurons exhibit a more mature electrophysiology, in terms of one or more features selected from the group consisting of action potential patterns, negative sodium channel current, positive potassium channel current and action potential spikes of amplitude, duration and frequency, or increased frequency after exposure to said flow as compared to the same neurons cultured in a static culture.