Low-Cost, Rapid Fabrication of Customizable Polyethylene Glycol-Based Cell Culture Devices

Biological research groups may face a high barrier to entry when constructing custom 3D cell culture devices to investigate multi-tissue interactions in vitro. Standard fabrication methods such as lithography, etching, or molding are expensive and require specialized equipment and expertise. To address this, we developed an accessible approach for producing polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based cell culture devices using stereolithography 3D printing with a polydimethylsiloxane intermediate mold. Both the intermediate molding steps and the sterilized final device show low cytotoxicity, and the final device swells to predictable dimensions and retains its shape for at least 10 days. We used this approach to develop a human pluripotent stem cell-derived neural spheroid outgrowth model that supports directed neurite extension over 14 days. Together, this method provides a highly customizable, affordable platform for rapid fabrication of PEG-based microphysiological systems for diverse tissue engineering applications.