Spontaneous Formation of Uniform Cell-Sized Microgels through Water/Water Phase Separation.

Autor: Shono M; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Doshisha University, 6100321, Kyoto, Japan., Honda G; Komaba Institute for Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba 3-8-1, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan., Yanagisawa M; Komaba Institute for Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba 3-8-1, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan.; Center for Complex Systems Biology, Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, Komaba 3-8-1, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan.; Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan., Yoshikawa K; Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, 6100394, Kyoto, Japan.; Center for Integrative Medicine and Physics, Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto University, 606 8501, Kyoto, Japan., Shioi A; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Doshisha University, 6100321, Kyoto, Japan.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) [Small] 2023 Sep; Vol. 19 (38), pp. e2302193. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 May 24.
DOI: 10.1002/smll.202302193
Abstrakt: In this study, a one-step method is discussed for producing uniform cell-sized microgels using glass capillaries filled with a binary polymer blend of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and gelatin. Upon decreasing temperature, phase separation of the PEG/gelatin blends and gelation of gelatin occur, and then the polymer blend forms linearly aligned, uniformly sized gelatin microgels in the glass capillary. When DNA is added to the polymer solution, gelatin microgels entrapping DNA are spontaneously formed, and the DNA prevents the coalescence of the microdroplets even at temperatures above the melting point. This novel method to form uniform cell-sized microgels may be applicable to other biopolymers. This method is expected to contribute to diverse materials science via biopolymer microgels and biophysics and synthetic biology through cellular models containing biopolymer gels.
(© 2023 The Authors. Small published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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