We propose the design of a single-cell based microfluidic platform as diagnostic tool for the evaluation of drug efficiency. Droplet-based microfluidics is used for a fast and convenient evaluation of drug and drug mixtures` therapeutic effects
Final Report Abstract
In the presented project, several approaches for the design and processing of scaffold materials, of hard and soft nature, were investigated. Besides the additive manufacturing (3D printing) of alginate-gelatin blends and the investigation of cell encapsulation and the modification of the crosslinking process, hard scaffold materials consisting of silica and bioactive glass were generated in two and three dimensions and evaluated with respect to cell-material interactions. While the biological analysis of encapsulated cells in three-dimensional hydrogels is still on-going, the distinct influence of the crosslinking ion on the stability of alginate-gelatin hydrogels could be demonstrated. Additionally, the investigation of cellmaterial interactions in presence of different surface morphologies showed surprising results which need to be further investigated. Although it was not possible to finish all the projects within this research stay, this short research period opened a huge field of potential research directions and follow-up projects. The initiated projects are still on-going and will be continued within the respective research groups. Especially, the investigation of cell-material interaction with respect to surface morphology is an area which will be further investigated by Prof. Vogel and his group in the future.
Publications
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Tailoring re-entrant geometry in inverse colloidal monolayers to control surface wettability. J. Mater. Chem. A 2015
Stefanie Utech, Karina Bley, Joanna Aizenberg, Nicolas Vogel
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A review of hydrogel-based composites for biomedical applications: enhancement of hydrogel properties by addition of rigid inorganic fillers. J Mater Sci 2016, 51, 271–310
Stefanie Utech, Aldo R. Boccaccini
