Granular Hydrogels
Granular Hydrogels - Related Videos
10:18
Fragmenting Bulk Hydrogels and Processing into Granular Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications
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Cited by 23 •
2022
This work describes straightforward, adaptable, and low-cost methods to fabricate microgels with extrusion fragmentation, process the microgels into injectable granular hydrogels, and apply the granular hydrogels as extrusion printing inks for biomedical applications.
08:53
Quantifying Three-Dimensional Cell Migration Within and Into Granular Hydrogel Biomaterials
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2025
A protocol for the quantitative evaluation of 3D cell migration within and into the interface of granular hydrogels is presented here.
06:10
Extraction of Structural Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Aerobic Granular Sludge
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Cited by 201 •
2016
The protocol provides a methodology to solubilize aerobic granular sludge in order to extract alginate-like extracellular polymers (ALE).
07:25
Collagen Hydrogels
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2023
Collagen is another widely used biomaterial that has found popularity in commercial applications, such as photography. Collagen has more recently been used in tissue engineering applications, by creating hydrogels that provide structure to engineered tissue. This video introduces collagen as a biomaterial, demonstrates how it is harvested from porcine skin, and shows how the material is used to create a hydrogel for tissue engineering applications. Finally, several applications of the material...
08:33
Hydrogel Synthesis
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2023
Source: Amber N. Barron, Ashlea Patterson, and Taylor D. Sparks, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT Hydrogels are a versatile class of cross-linked polymers produced through relatively simple procedures and with generally inexpensive materials. They can be formed from solution and involve a polymer backbone formed from monomer reagents, an initiator which makes the polymer reactive and a crosslinking species which binds the polymer chains...
FAQs
Jamming keeps the microscopic particles in a solid-like arrangement, yet applied force can make the packed material flow. When the force is removed, the particle network can recover its structure. This reversible behavior gives granular hydrogels a practical advantage for handling, injection, and three-dimensional printing, where deformation must be followed by shape retention.
Particle surfaces and added crosslinkers provide ways to stabilize the packed network. By strengthening connections between particles, these design elements can alter mechanical properties, permeability, and degradation. Researchers can therefore adjust how the material supports cells and transports substances, while matching the scaffold to a desired bioengineering context.
The interconnected voids create pathways through the packed particles rather than leaving an entirely solid mass. Their presence helps explain the material’s permeability and provides space within the three-dimensional environment. In bioengineering, this architecture allows researchers to study how cells respond to a tunable surrounding matrix.
A design workflow can begin by assembling microscopic hydrogel particles, then engineering their surfaces or introducing crosslinkers to stabilize the packed structure. Researchers can subsequently evaluate or tune mechanical properties, permeability, and degradation for the intended use. This modular sequence is useful because the same general platform can be adapted to different cellular and biomaterial environments.
Their flow under applied force allows the material to be handled as an injectable scaffold, while recovery afterward helps preserve a solid-like environment. The porous particle arrangement also provides a three-dimensional setting for encapsulated cells. These features make the platform relevant when bioengineers need both delivery into a site and continued structural support afterward.
The platform is relevant to regenerative medicine, drug delivery, and tissue repair, where tunable particle architecture can help researchers design biomaterials for different goals. It also supports three-dimensional bioprinting, extending its use from injectable scaffolds to printed constructs. These applications draw on controllable mechanics, permeability, degradation, and cellular environments.