Moving from static to dynamic complexity in hydrogel design
Jason A Burdick1, William L Murphy
1Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 240 Skirkanich Hall, 210 S. 33rd street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. burdick2@seas.upenn.edu
Abstract:
Hydrogels are water-swollen polymer networks that have found a range of applications from biological scaffolds to contact lenses. Historically, their design has consisted primarily of static systems and those that exhibit simple degradation. However, advances in polymer synthesis and processing have led to a new generation of dynamic systems that are capable of responding to artificial triggers and biological signals with spatial precision. These systems will open up new possibilities for the use of hydrogels as model biological structures and in tissue regeneration.
