Bioresponsive hydrogels and microfluidics as tools in biophysical research

by Prof. Bjørn Torger Stokke (NTNU The Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

Thursday 10 Nov 2022, 11:00 → 13:00 Europe/Warsaw

In the presentation, examples from our biophysical research stream exploiting design and use of bio responsive hydrogels and microfluidics will be highlighted. Hydrogels are soft materials comprising both solid- and fluidlike character mediated by the crosslinked polymer and solvent components. We have tailormade the polymer network components to realize specific recognition and transducing materials as mediated by their change in swelling state. Thus, responsive hydrogels sensitive to glucose, potassium, or oligonucleotides or for mapping other molecular features, has been realized. These hydrogels have been synthesized at the end of an optical fiber, where an interferometric principles supports high-resolution determination of their swelling state. Glucose sensor, potassium sensor and also model hydrogels where the recognition and transducing process has been studied in more detailed as a reaction-diffusion process has been realized. 

In the second part of the presentation, examples from our microfluidics are highlighted. Microfluidics has expanded the past decades as an important field for miniaturization in a range of science fields, e.g. for high – throughput screening, reducing size heterogeneity and other purposes within biomedicine. We have realized microfluidic devices supporting molding of hydrogel microgels with homogeneous size distributions using commonly exploited ionotropic gelation of alginates while circumventing bottlenecks like changes in pH. The process is shown to maintain viability of encapsulated cells up to a month. Microfluidic devices supporting high-throughput deformability of cells and hydrogel beads have been realized. This is directed towards establishing high-throughput technology for mechanical fingerprinting of dispersed cancer cells.