Summary
Published in Biomaterials Science (2017), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Labriola, Nicholas R., et al. Fabricating polyacrylamide microbeads by inverse emulsification to mimic the size and elasticity of living cells
Fabricating polyacrylamide microbeads by inverse emulsification to mimic the size and elasticity of living cells
Research Overview
This study used inverse emulsification to fabricate polyacrylamide microbeads matched in size and elastic properties to typical mammalian cells. After polymerization, the beads could be fluorescently stained for tracking and functionalized with a collagen type-I coating to promote cell recognition and binding.
By occupying a previously unfilled range of sizes and mechanical properties, these cell-mimicking microbeads offer a tunable reference particle for biomedical and materials applications — including as mechanical stand-ins for cells in 3D culture studies.
Key Discoveries
- Inverse emulsification produced polyacrylamide microbeads matching mammalian cell size and elasticity
- Beads were fluorescently stainable and collagen-I functionalized post-polymerization
- Fills a previously unoccupied range of size/stiffness combinations for cell-mimicking particles
