Gel-assisted Swelling
Gel-assisted Swelling - Related Videos
08:45
Forming Giant-sized Polymersomes Using Gel-assisted Rehydration
0 Views •
Cited by 5 •
2016
We present a protocol to rapidly form giant polymer vesicles (pGVs). Briefly, polymer solutions are dehydrated on dried agarose films adhered to coverslips. Rehydration of the polymer films results in rapid formation of pGVs. This method greatly advances the preparation of synthetic giant vesicles for direct applications in biomimetic studies.
05:53
Mitochondrial Ca2+ Retention Capacity Assay and Ca2+-triggered Mitochondrial Swelling Assay
0 Views •
Cited by 11 •
2018
This protocol aims to describe a method to examine the Ca2+ retention capacity and Ca2+- triggered mitochondrial swelling of isolated mitochondria of SH-SY5Y cells step-by-step.
06:30
Gel Purification
0 Views •
2023
Gel purification is used to recover DNA fragments after electrophoretic separation. DNA recovery from an agarose gel includes three basic steps: binding, washing and eluting from a silica column. DNA is believed to bind to silica in the presence of high salt via a salt bridge. Following binding, DNA is washed of impurities and eluted under low salt conditions disrupting this interaction. This video goes through a step-by-step, generalized procedure for cutting out a band from the gel, gel...
07:04
Forskolin-induced Swelling in Intestinal Organoids: An In Vitro Assay for Assessing Drug Response in Cystic Fibrosis Patients
0 Views •
Cited by 121 •
2017
This protocol describes an assay for measuring CFTR function and CFTR modulator responses in cultured tissue from subjects with cystic fibrosis (CF). Biopsy-derived intestinal organoids swell in a cAMP-driven fashion, a response that is defective (or strongly reduced) in CF organoids and can be restored by exposure to CFTR modulators.
09:22
DNA Gel Electrophoresis
0 Views •
2023
DNA gel electrophoresis is a technique used for the detection and separation of DNA molecules. An electric field is applied to a gel matrix comprised of agarose, and within the gel, charge particles will migrate and separate based on size. The negatively charged phosphates of the DNA backbone cause DNA fragments to move toward the anode - a positively charged electrode. The video explains the mechanism by which DNA fragments are resolved on an agarose gel, and it provides a step-by-step...
FAQs
Anchoring biomolecules within the polymer hydrogel provides the structural link that allows expansion to enlarge the specimen without losing the relative arrangement of its molecular components. As water enters the gel, the polymer network expands and carries those anchored molecules outward together. This relationship helps images reveal protein localization and cellular architecture at greater spatial detail.
Homogenizing or softening the surrounding tissue reduces the physical constraints that would otherwise limit hydrogel expansion. This preparation enables the water-absorbing polymer network to enlarge the embedded specimen while maintaining the relative organization of anchored biomolecules. The step is therefore central to obtaining expanded views of tissue morphology and molecular relationships rather than merely producing a larger but distorted sample.
Gel-assisted Swelling provides physical magnification before observation, making nanoscale relationships more accessible with conventional microscopy. It therefore complements, rather than replaces, advanced imaging methods. Researchers can use the expanded specimen to examine molecular and cellular organization with greater spatial detail, while advanced approaches remain relevant when specialized imaging capabilities are needed for the research question.
The preparation begins by embedding the specimen in a polymer hydrogel and anchoring its biomolecules within that network. Researchers then homogenize or soften the surrounding tissue, allowing the gel to absorb water and expand. The enlarged specimen can subsequently be examined by microscopy to assess protein localization, cellular architecture, or tissue morphology while preserving relative organization.
Applications include developmental biology, neuroscience, and disease biology. In these settings, enlarged specimens can help researchers examine how proteins are positioned, how cells are organized, and how tissue morphology relates to biological processes. The approach is especially useful when connecting molecular organization with larger-scale cellular or tissue features is important to interpreting biological function.
The resulting images can provide greater spatial detail about protein localization, cellular architecture, and tissue morphology. Because the method preserves relative organization during expansion, researchers can examine relationships among molecular and cellular features rather than viewing isolated signals alone. This supports comparisons between molecular organization and the biological structures or functions being studied in the specimen.