Functionalized Microgel Rods Interlinked into Soft Macroporous Structures for 3D Cell Culture.

ABSTRACT: In this work, a two component microgel assembly using soft anisometric microgels that interlink to create a 3D macroporous construct for cell growth is reported. Reactive microgel rods with variable aspect ratio are produced via microfluidics in a continuous plug-flow on-chip gelation method by photoinitiated free-radical polymerization of star-polyethylene glycol-acrylate with glycidyl methacrylate or 2-aminoethyl methacrylate comonomers. The resulting complementary epoxy- and amine-functionalized microgels assemble and interlink with each other via a ring opening reaction, resulting in macroporous constructs with pores up to several hundreds of micrometers. The level of crosslinking depends on the functionalization degree of the microgels, which also affects the stiffness and cell adhesi

SUBMITTER: Rommel D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8981485 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature