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Published on: October 24, 2018
Two-photon fabrication of hydrogel microstructures for excitation and immobilization of cells
Nils Frederik Hasselmann1, Michael Jona Hackmann2, Wolfgang Horn2
1Institute of Applied Physics, University of Münster, Münster, 48149, Germany. frederik.hasselmann@wwu.de.
Abstract:
We investigate in vitro fabrication of hydrogel microstructures by two photon laser lithography for single cell immobilization and excitation. Fluorescent yeast cells are embedded in water containing the hydrogel precursor mixtures and cross-linking is used to selectively immobilize a particular cell. Cell viability within the hydrogel precursor is estimated using a life/dead assay and elastic and stiff hydrogel structures are fabricated, immobilizing cells in a microfluidic environment. Additionally, we demonstrate the illumination of cells by on-the-fly fabricated hydrogel waveguide networks connected to an external light source, thereby exciting a fluorescence signal in a single immobilized cell.
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