Cell culturing in electropolymerized hydrogel multi-layer nets fabricated in an electrokinetics microfluidic chip

Three-dimensional (3D) micro-engineered hydrogel biomaterials incorporating cells is a promising in vitro bio-model for tissue engineering. We report a visible-light induced layer-by-layer microfabrication method for large scale tunable 3D hydrogel network and its application in 3D cell culturing and modulation. This optically induced electropolymerization method was previously reported for two-dimensional (2D) hydrogel patterning and cell patterning. Here, we improved the fabrication process by designing a series of switching "digitally-controlled photomasks" to continuously fabricate multi-layered 3D net-like hydrogel scaffolds with tunable pores and gaps. Cell spreading and migrating behaviors were further investigated after incorporating them into this biocompatible hydrogel scaffold. This method may shine some light on the in vitro reconstruction of physiologically related bio-microenvironments