Summary
Published in Biofabrication (2016), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Susienka, Michael J, et al. Quantifying the kinetics and morphological changes of the fusion of spheroid building blocks
Quantifying the kinetics and morphological changes of the fusion of spheroid building blocks
Research Overview
Spheroid fusion is fundamental to biofabrication, so this study built a quantitative, high-throughput platform to measure it using agarose micro-molds. Spheroids of primary human chondrocytes or MCF-7 breast cancer cells were self-assembled for 24 hours, then paired so each well held one doublet.
Two assays quantified fusogenicity: an initial tack assay measuring the minimum time for two spheroids to form a mechanically stable doublet, and a fusion assay tracking key morphological parameters of the doublets over time — turning a qualitative process into measurable engineering parameters.
Key Discoveries
- High-throughput doublet array in agarose micro-molds quantified spheroid fusion
- Tack assay measured minimum time to a mechanically stable two-spheroid complex
- Fusion assay tracked morphological parameters over time for chondrocyte and breast cancer spheroids
