Nano and micro particles are widely used in industrial, household and medicinal applications. To understand the complex interaction between particles and epithelial cells, we developed a dynamic model of the alveolar interface. This system, named DALI (Dynamic Model for the ALveolar Interface), is a modular bioreactor composed of two chambers divided by a porous membrane where epithelial lung cells are seeded. The membrane is the support of the alveolar barrier that separates the two compartments of the alveolus: the air and blood side. The system integrates the following elements:

• Air/Liquid interface with cell culture media flow, for better reproducing the in vivo microenvironment.
• Lung breathing motion, thanks to an airflow that allows the stretching of the membrane.
• Aerosol deposition system, to study the effects of drug efficacy or particle toxicity on the epithelial layer.
• Quartz Crystal Microbalance, to quantify the amount of aerosolized particles.