Berlin 2015 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 16: Posters: Cell adhesion, mechanics and migration

BP 16.21: Poster

Monday, March 16, 2015, 17:30–19:30, Poster A

Mechanically tunable biomimetic hyaluronic acid based hydrogels — •Frederike Derksen and Florian Rehfeldt — 3rd Institute of Physics - Biophysics, Georg-August-University, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany

Mechanical properties of the microenvironment of cells, e.g. matrix elasticity, influence many aspects of cell behavior including morphology, motility and even more complex processes such as differentiation. Therefore, it is important to design and characterize hydrogels for cell culture that resemble the in vivo environment of cells. Cross-linked hyaluronic acid (HA) matrices offer an alternative to conventionally used polyacrylamide hydrogels as HA is biocompatible and therefore not toxic for cells. Using different thiol modifications of HA, we prepare hydrogels with a well-defined elasticity in the physiologically relevant range of E = 0.1 kPa to 100 kPa, which is much softer than glass or tissue culture plastic. Another advantage is the possibility of preparing 3D culture environments by embedding cells during hydrogel polymerization. Gelation kinetics of the hydrogels were investigated by rheology using oscillatory deformation tests. Both the storage modulus G' as well as the loss modulus G'' were measured in order to analyze the viscoelastic properties of the cross-linked hydrogels.