(a) Schematic of a macroscopic in vitro model of pulmonary airways recreating an ALI; epithelial monolayers are cultured on a porous membrane in cellular culture inserts to create compartmentalization: apical side of cells is exposed to air while basal side is maintained with growth media. (b) Schematic of microchannels separated by a porous membrane. This setup yields a sandwiched structure allowing for airflow in the upper chamber (i.e., ALI), while maintaining constant perfusion in the lower chamber for cell viability.
