Integrated system for 3D tissue culture

A system comprising:

• two or more devices, wherein each device comprises:
• a substrate;
• at least one pair of electrodes embedded at least partially in the substrate, the pair of electrodes having a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a gap;
• at least one well having a bottom on the substrate, a first end in contact with the first electrode, and a second end in contact with the second electrode, the well configured for growing a tissue from cells seeded therein, wherein the pair of electrodes is configured to apply an electrical stimulation to the tissue;
• and
• at least two elastic sensing elements disposed across the well such that there is a gap between the sensing elements and the bottom of the well, wherein the sensing elements are configured to:
• (a) permit attachment of the tissue formed therebetween, thereby suspending the tissue above the bottom of the well, and (b) deform in response to a contractile force exerted on the sensing elements by the tissue, thereby simulating a physiological environment that is native to the tissue and/or permitting measurement of the contractile force;
• and
• a stimulator having two or more driver boards, wherein each driver board is configured to apply an electrical stimulation between each pair of electrodes of each device, thereby permitting the stimulator to independently control the application of the electrical stimulation between each pair of electrodes.