A Novel Toolkit for Characterizing the Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Engineered Neural Tissues.

ABSTRACT: We have designed and validated a set of robust and non-toxic protocols for directly evaluating the properties of engineered neural tissue. These protocols characterize the mechanical properties of engineered neural tissues and measure their electrophysical activity. The protocols obtain elastic moduli of very soft fibrin hydrogel scaffolds and voltage readings from motor neuron cultures. Neurons require soft substrates to differentiate and mature, however measuring the elastic moduli of soft substrates remains difficult to accurately measure using standard protocols such as atomic force microscopy or shear rheology. Here we validate a direct method for acquiring elastic modulus of fibrin using a modified Hertz model for thin films. In this method, spherical indenters are positioned on top

SUBMITTER: Robinson M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6627085 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature