Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Microbiome-Targeted Antibiotics Provide No Additional Microbiologic or Inflammatory Benefit during Cystic Fibrosis Pulmonary Exacerbations: Results from the CFMATTERS Trial.

American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine·2026
Same author

Safety and efficacy of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor in children ≥2 years with cystic fibrosis: 96-week interim results from a phase 3 open-label extension study.

Journal of cystic fibrosis : official journal of the European Cystic Fibrosis Society·2026
Same author

Bridging the airway microbiome and targeted therapy in bronchiectasis: multi-omics insights, endotypes and emerging therapies.

The European respiratory journal·2026
Same author

Study on the Self-Assembly and Dual-Stimuli-Responsive Behavior of Multi-amphiphilic Polymeric Architectures.

Polymer science & technology (Washington, D.C.)·2026
Same author

Longitudinal Changes in Lung Morphologic Features and Perfusion Detected by MRI in Patients With Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia From Infancy Through Adulthood.

Chest·2026
Same author

Real-world impact of nirsevimab on RSV hospitalizations in children under 2 years of age: retrospective monocentric study in a large German tertiary pedatric center.

Molecular and cellular pediatrics·2026
Same journal

Reprocessable Disulfide-Based Vitrimers with Adhesive Properties.

Macromolecular rapid communications·2026
Same journal

Micro- and Nanopatterning of Highly Conductive PEDOT Thin Films.

Macromolecular rapid communications·2026
Same journal

From Molecular Structure to Macroscopic Performance: Insights into Polycarbosilane Curing.

Macromolecular rapid communications·2026
Same journal

High-Yield Synthesis of Molecular Bottlebrushes With Block Copolymer Side Chains by the Copper Superoxido Complex Enabled ATRP via a Grafting-From Approach.

Macromolecular rapid communications·2026
Same journal

Chemically and Mechanically Recyclable Polyolefins Incorporating Covalent Adaptable Networks.

Macromolecular rapid communications·2026
Same journal

Designing Thermally Stable DNA Hydrogels via Entropically-Driven Acridine Intercalation.

Macromolecular rapid communications·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 23, 2025

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture
11:34

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

Published on: December 26, 2017

8.0K

Polyglycerol-Based Mucus-Inspired Hydrogels.

Antara Sharma1, Boonya Thongrom1, Sumati Bhatia1

  • 1Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 3, Berlin, 14195, Germany.

Macromolecular Rapid Communications
|August 21, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed mucus-inspired hydrogels (MIHs) with defined compositions. MIHs synthesized using specific ratios of linear polymers and crosslinkers closely mimic the rheological properties of human airway mucus.

Keywords:
bio-inspired hydrogelslinear polyglycerolmucusredox responsive hydrogels

More Related Videos

Synthesis of Strong Adhesive Hydrogel, Gelatin O-Nitrosobenzaldehyde
07:04

Synthesis of Strong Adhesive Hydrogel, Gelatin O-Nitrosobenzaldehyde

Published on: November 11, 2022

2.7K
Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification
07:32

Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification

Published on: April 7, 2017

9.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 23, 2025

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture
11:34

Ultrathin Porated Elastic Hydrogels As a Biomimetic Basement Membrane for Dual Cell Culture

Published on: December 26, 2017

8.0K
Synthesis of Strong Adhesive Hydrogel, Gelatin O-Nitrosobenzaldehyde
07:04

Synthesis of Strong Adhesive Hydrogel, Gelatin O-Nitrosobenzaldehyde

Published on: November 11, 2022

2.7K
Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification
07:32

Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification

Published on: April 7, 2017

9.6K

Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Rheology

Background:

  • Mucus is a protective hydrogel network crucial for bodily defense.
  • Mucins, the main glycoproteins in mucus, form entangled networks responsible for its unique rheological properties.
  • Naturally sourced mucus is poorly defined, limiting its applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize compositionally defined mucus-inspired hydrogels (MIHs).
  • To create a library of MIHs with tunable properties.
  • To compare the viscoelasticity of MIHs with native human mucus.

Main Methods:

  • MIHs synthesized via thiol oxidation to form disulfide bonds.
  • Used crosslinker ethoxylated trimethylolpropane tri(3-mercaptopropionate) (THIOCURE ETTMP 1300).
  • Employed linear precursors: dithiolated linear polyglycerol (LPG(SH)2) or polyethylene glycol (PEG(SH)2) of varying molecular weights.
  • Varied polymer-to-crosslinker ratios and linear polymer lengths.
  • Characterized viscoelastic properties using frequency sweeps at 25 and 37 °C.

Main Results:

  • A library of compositionally defined MIHs was successfully fabricated.
  • MIHs exhibited tunable viscoelastic properties based on formulation.
  • MIHs composed of a 10:1 ratio of LPG(SH)2 and ETTMP 1300 demonstrated rheological behavior comparable to human airway mucus.

Conclusions:

  • Compositionally defined MIHs can be synthesized to mimic natural mucus.
  • These synthetic hydrogels offer a promising alternative to poorly defined natural mucus for various applications.
  • The developed MIHs provide a valuable platform for studying mucus functions and developing new biomaterials.