Hydrogel Spheres
Hydrogel Spheres - Related Videos
07:25
Collagen Hydrogels
0 Views •
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
0 Views •
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...
09:23
Turbulence Sphere Method: Evaluating Wind Tunnel Flow Quality
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2023
Source: Jose Roberto Moreto and Xiaofeng Liu, Department of Aerospace Engineering, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA Wind tunnel tests are useful in the design of vehicles and structures that are subjected to airflow during their use. Wind tunnel data are generated by applying a controlled air flow to a model of the object being studied. The test model usually has a similar geometry but is a smaller scale compared to the full-sized object. To ensure accurate and useful data is collected...
02:26
Generating 3D Co-culture Spheres of Astrocytes and Neurons to Induce Synapse Formation
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2025
This video demonstrates a procedure for co-culturing the astrocytes and neurons to form 3D spheres. These 3D spheres provide a distinct platform for examining synapse formation and neural network integration, thereby serving as a potential model for research in developmental neuroscience, neurodegenerative diseases, and neuropharmacological interventions.
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.
FAQs
Crosslinking stabilizes the polymer droplets and determines how tightly the network is held together. Changes in the crosslinking process can alter sphere size, porosity, and mechanical strength. These properties influence how readily nutrients, oxygen, signaling molecules, drugs, or proteins move through the spheres and how well the particles support biological materials.
Diffusion allows nutrients, oxygen, signaling molecules, and other dissolved substances to move through the hydrated network. This transport helps encapsulated cells remain connected to their surrounding environment and enables drugs or proteins to interact with external tissues or media. Sphere porosity therefore affects both biological support and the release or delivery behavior of encapsulated materials.
Their polymer composition and crosslinking can be adjusted to create different matrix environments, including changes in porosity and mechanical strength. Encapsulated cells then experience these altered physical cues while remaining in a three-dimensional setting. Comparing cellular behavior across spheres helps researchers examine how matrix composition and mechanics influence biological responses.
A polymer solution is first shaped into rounded droplets, after which each droplet is stabilized through physical or chemical crosslinking. The resulting spheres can then be used to encapsulate cells, proteins, or drugs, depending on the experimental goal. Controlling droplet formation and crosslinking is central to obtaining the desired size, porosity, and strength.
They are useful when an experiment requires a hydrated, three-dimensional environment rather than a flat culture surface. Encapsulated cells can be studied within a tunable matrix, while tissue-engineering studies can examine how material properties support biological organization. Their adjustable structure also allows researchers to investigate relationships between matrix composition, mechanics, and cell behavior.
Drugs or proteins can be enclosed within the spheres, where the hydrated polymer network regulates their contact with the surrounding environment. Sphere size, porosity, and crosslinking influence transport through the network and therefore affect delivery behavior. This makes the system useful for studying how material design can support controlled release or localized presentation of biological molecules.