Microfluidic generation of composite biopolymer microgels with tunable compositions and mechanical properties Articles uri icon

authors

  • CHAU, MOKIT
  • ABOLHASANI, MILAD
  • THERIEN-AUBIN, HELOÏSE
  • LI, YANG
  • VELASCO BAYON, DIEGO
  • TUMARKIN, ETHAN
  • RAMACHANDRAN, ARUN
  • KUMACHEVA, EUGENIA

publication date

  • June 2014

start page

  • 2419

end page

  • 2425

issue

  • 7

volume

  • 15

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1525-7797

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1526-4602

abstract

  • To develop an understanding of the nature of complex, spatiotemporal interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM), artificial ECMs formed from hydrogels with a particular spectrum of properties are being developed at a rapid pace. We report the microfluidic
    generation of small, monodisperse composite agarose−gelatin hydrogel modules
    (microgel particles) that can be used for cell encapsulation and can serve as
    instructive cellular microenvironments. The agarose component of the microgels
    gelled under reduced temperature, while gelatin modified with phenolic hydroxyl
    groups underwent peroxidase-catalyzed gelation. Microgel composition,
    structure, morphology, and rigidity were tuned in a high-throughput manner. The
    results of this work are important for the generation of libraries of
    cell-laden polymer microgels for single-cell analysis, tissue engineering, and
    fundamental studies of the role of local microenvironments in cell fate.

keywords

  • artificial extracellular matrix (ecm),microfluidics, monodisperse composite agarose−gelatin microgel particles,high-throughput