Strain stiffening in collagen I networks
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Updated: May 17, 2026

Preparation of 3D Collagen Gels and Microchannels for the Study of 3D Interactions In Vivo
Published on: May 9, 2016
Stéphanie Motte1, Laura J Kaufman
1Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027.
Abstract:
Biopolymer gels exhibit strain stiffening that is generally not seen in synthetic gels. Here, we investigate the strain-stiffening behavior in collagen I gels that demonstrate elasticity derived from a variety of sources including crosslinking through telopeptides, bundling through low-temperature gelation, and exogenous crosslinking with genipin. In all cases, it is found that these gels exhibit strain stiffening; in general, onset of strain stiffening occurs earlier, yield strain is lower, and degree of strain stiffening is smaller in higher concentration gels and in those displaying thick fibril bundles. Recovery after exposure to high strains is substantial and similar in all gels, suggesting that much of the stiffening comes from reversible network deformations. A key finding of this study is that collagen I gels of identical storage and loss moduli may display different nonlinear responses and different capacities to recover from high strain.
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