Assessing PDMS Biocompatibility in Microfluidic Applications: Toxicity and Survival Outcomes in <i>C. elegans</i>.

ABSTRACT: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), often assumed to be biocompatible, is widely used in microfluidic devices and biomedical research. Here, we systematically assess the organismal effects of PDMS network components and their leachates using Caenorhabditis elegans as a whole-animal model. We demonstrate that uncrosslinked vinyl-terminated PDMS (v-PDMS) chains, which comprise the majority of a PDMS network and are known to diffuse into aqueous environments, exhibit acute, environmentally-dependent toxicity. Low-molecular-weight v-PDMS (6 kDa) caused mild lethality in nutrient-rich S-Medium but significantly higher mortality in minimal S-Buffer, showing that media composition strongly influences toxic effects. Adding cholesterol, calcium, or magnesium notably reduced v-PDMS-induced lethality

SUBMITTER: Gomez K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12724704 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature