Creating Complex Polyacrylamide Hydrogel Structures Using 3D Printing with Applications to Mechanobiology

Due to its favorable physical and chemical properties, including chemical inertness, low fouling by biological molecules, high porosity and permeability, optical transparency, and adjustable elasticity, polyacrylamide has found a wide range of biomedical and non-biomedical applications. To further increase its versatility, this communication describes a simple method, using readily available reagents and equipment, for 3D printing polyacrylamide hydrogels at a resolution of 100-150 μm to create complex structures. As a demonstration of the application, the method is used for creating a lab-on-a-chip cell culture surface with micropatterned stiffness, which then leads to the discovery of stiffness-guided collective cell segregation distinct from durotaxis. The present technology is expected to unleash new applications such as the construction of biocompatible elastic medical devices and artificial organs.