Are polyacrylamide hydrogels a 2d-model soft substrate?

Polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogels are widely adopted as 2D-model soft substrates for investigating cell-material interactions in a controlled in vitro environment.

Why are PAAM hydrogels used in mechanobiology?

PAAm hydrogels are used as deformable 2D cell culture substrates in mechanobiology to investigate how tissue mechanics regulates cell behavior and function in physiological and pathological conditions. For this purpose, the mechanical properties of hydrogels are tailored and correlated with cellular behavior.

How are PAAM hydrogels polymerized?

PAAm hydrogels were polymerized on the sacrificial templates and placed in glacial acetic acid to dissolve the PMMA microspheres, leaving the 3D PAAm scaffolds intact. This method can also be employed to produce feature sizes down to single-cell level (3 µm) of very soft hydrogels (1 kPa).

Can polyacrylamide be biofunctionalized?

They can be biofunctionalized and processed in mild conditions, compatible with living cells. Polyacrylamide (PAAm) is a simple hydrogel system with high flexibility for property change and functionalization which has been extensively used to study the interplay of ECM factors on cellular behavior.

Why are PAAM hydrogels non-fouling?

PAAm hydrogels are biologically inert and have intrinsic non-fouling properties, preventing nonspecific attachment of proteins. Cell adhesive molecules are covalently or non-covalently attached to the PAAm network to promote cell attachment and interaction with the surface of PAAm hydrogels.

Can a poly(maleic anhydride) copolymer bind to PAAM hydrogels?

Alternatively, a poly (maleic anhydride) copolymer was spin-coated onto PAAm hydrogels in mild conditions (in PBS, pH 7.4) to create a stable covalently attached layer that promotes the binding of biomolecules via physical adsorption.