Hydrogel Crosslinking
Hydrogel Crosslinking - Related Videos
09:06
Preparation of DNA-crosslinked Polyacrylamide Hydrogels
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Cited by 5 •
2014
Our laboratory has developed DNA-crosslinked polyacrylamide hydrogels, a dynamic hydrogel system, to better understand the effects of modulating tissue stiffness on cell function. Here, we provide schematics, descriptions, and protocols to prepare these hydrogels.
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...
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...
09:47
FRET Imaging in Three-dimensional Hydrogels
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Cited by 3 •
2016
Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) imaging is a powerful tool for real-time cell biology studies. Here a method for FRET imaging cells in physiologic three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel microenvironments using conventional epifluorescence microscopy is presented. An analysis for ratiometric FRET probes that yields linear ratios over the activation range is described.
11:15
Nanosponge Tunability in Size and Crosslinking Density
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Cited by 1 •
2017
This article describes a process for tuning the size and crosslinking density of covalently crosslinked nanoparticles from linear polyesters containing pendant functionality. By tailoring synthesis parameters (polymer molecular weight, pendant functionality incorporation, and crosslinker equivalents), a desired nanoparticle size and crosslinking density can be achieved for drug delivery applications.
FAQs
Covalent crosslinks create chemical bonds between polymer chains, whereas physical crosslinks rely on reversible interactions. This distinction affects network stability and how readily the material can change under its surroundings. In biological designs, choosing between these mechanisms helps researchers balance structural persistence with reversible behavior for matrices, scaffolds, delivery systems, or wound dressings.
These three features govern how the polymer network responds as a material. Crosslink density influences swelling and stiffness, while the distribution of connections affects porosity and structural organization. Stability contributes to degradation behavior. Adjusting these characteristics allows researchers to create hydrogels with physical properties suited to particular biological environments and experimental goals.
Crosslinking chemistry helps determine the material properties that cells encounter, including stiffness, porosity, and the persistence of the network. Those properties can affect cell attachment, migration, proliferation, and responses to the surrounding material. Consequently, hydrogel design can be used to reproduce selected aspects of the extracellular matrix rather than treating the matrix as a passive support.
Researchers tune crosslinking conditions and chemistry to control network characteristics, including swelling, stiffness, porosity, and degradation behavior. The desired balance depends on the intended use, such as supporting cells, delivering a drug, or covering a wound. This design step connects the hydrogel’s molecular network with its performance in a biological setting.
Crosslinked hydrogels support several biological applications. They can serve as cell culture matrices, tissue-engineering scaffolds, drug-delivery systems, and wound dressings. Each use benefits from controlling water retention and structural integrity while adjusting properties such as stiffness, porosity, and degradation. The same crosslinking strategy can therefore be adapted to different experimental or therapeutic contexts.
Researchers can examine changes in swelling, stiffness, porosity, degradation behavior, and the way cells interact with the material. These outcomes reveal whether the network provides the intended combination of hydration and structural support. In biology, the results also indicate how effectively the hydrogel reproduces extracellular-matrix features or supports attachment, migration, and proliferation.