Grooves (blue) and other patterns emerge on a hydrogel pad without disturbing living cells, such as this immortalized mouse embryonic fibroblast cell (red).
DEREK S. HERNANDEZ AND JASON B. SHEAR, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
Focusing a laser on points within a hydrogel pad, a team at the University of Texas at Austin can change the shape and texture of the pad’s surface, according to a study published online this month (October 15) in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. This creates an adjustable and potentially dynamic environment in which to culture cells—closer to the experience of cells during various biological events, from development to wound healing and nerve regrowth.
D.S. Hernandez et al., “In situ imprinting of topographic landscapes at the cell–substrate interface,” J Am Chem Soc, doi:10.1021/jacs.8b09226, 2018.
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