2013 Applied Chemistry, Bioengineering, University of Illinois have found a group of adhere to a strong hydrophobic silicone hydrogel substrate, innovative biotechnology microscale provide valuable new tools. Articles, reporting, emphasizing soft materials chemistry "hot paper" editor. Microscale biotechnology, including cell culture platform and biochips, genomics, tissue engineering, biology and many other fields have important applications. A silicone polymer material is often used as an integral part of these techniques because of its advantageous characteristics: silicone is inert, flexible, biocompatible, and easy to work.
One major drawback of this type of biological material in the application, the surface formed by silicone resin is highly hydrophobic. Therefore, these surface water flows easily prohibit and prevent some bound biomolecules, while promoting other people's accidents combined. Chemical modification or coating may be used to make a hydrophilic surface, but the results produced by these processes is temporary.
Hyunjoon Hong Kong, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and research relating to regeneration biology and tissue engineering among the members of the Institute of Genomic Biology, led the Illinois study, to solve this problem. The group is committed to developing a method to modify silicone polymer surface permanently. Apertures are looking for a way to "glue" the alginate hydrogels, water-absorbing substances may also be used in food and medical industries, the polydimethylsiloxane (the PDMS), a silicone polymer, is a common material in the formation of surface micro-scale biotechnology.
Holes, said: "" has been frequently proposed integration and organization of organic hydrogel material of silicone-based materials should be enhancements. "However, this is a huge challenge to achieve and maintain adhesion between two different materials."
Solution developer, the first author: Chaenyung tea, agreement hole, and the other, a multi-step covalent link alginate, polysaccharide hydrogels also an integral part of, the development of PDMS surface. Then, the resultant PDMS alginate may participate in the crosslinking reaction to form an alginate hydrogel. Testing as a part of the study showed that stable aqueous gel PDMS annex months from the forming process can tolerate repeated bending and stretching does not reduce the solution. Hydrogels are hydrophilic than previously developed generated surface treatment, by modifying the crosslinking reaction used for forming it, can be easily controlled physical properties.
The study also discusses some of the practical application of the hydrogel PDMS surface. Cultured fibroblasts, different cell found in connective tissue, the surface of the hydrogel in PDMS, and prolonged exposure to repeated stretching. This type of operation does not have a culture substrate may lack elasticity of cells, and values influence the researchers in mechanical stress of living cells inside the body of
Another experiment showed that the passage of the hydrogel microfluidic device, can be successfully and stably synthesis. Kong Quan said: "This approach will greatly enhance product quality cell culture platform and microfluidic devices, will further benefit from the new drug delivery systems and cell transplantation devices designed."