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Updated: Apr 29, 2026

Easy Manipulation of Architectures in Protein-based Hydrogels for Cell Culture Applications
Published on: August 4, 2017
Physiological Buffer Selection Alters the Mechanics of Hydrogels with Hydrazone Cross-Links
Daiyao Zhang1, Neil J Baugh2, Narelli de Paiva Narciso2
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States.
Abstract:
Hydrogels are used for a wide range of biomedical applications. While mechanical characterization of hydrogels is frequently performed in isotonic saline, the chemical identity of these solutions may vary widely from the ionic environments encountered during their use. To explore this idea, we test the mechanical properties of a hydrogel cross-linked with dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) in several physiologically relevant ionic solutions that mimic different biological conditions. Specifically, we evaluate rheological properties of a hydrazone-cross-linked hydrogel composed of recombinant, chemically modified hyaluronan and elastin-like protein (ELP). Our results show that the shear moduli and stress relaxation properties of DCC hydrogels can vary significantly in different ionic environments. We identify the thermoresponsive nature of ELP and changes in hydrazone bond kinetics as the primary reasons for the observed differences in mechanical properties. Taken together, this work elucidates mechanisms underpinning changes in hydrogel mechanics in different physiological solutions.
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