A New Approach for On-Chip Production of Biological Microgels Using Photochemical Cross-Linking

Del Giudice, Francesco; Curtis, Dan J; Aufderhorst-Roberts, Anders

Abstract

Photochemical cross-linking is a key step for manufacturing microgels in numerous applications, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, material production, and wound healing. Existing photochemical cross-linking techniques in microfluidic devices rely on UV curing, which can cause cell and DNA damage. We address this challenge by developing a microfluidic workflow for producing microgels using visible light-driven photochemical cross-linking of aqueous droplets dispersed in a continuous oil phase. We report a proof-of-concept to construct microgels from the protein Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) with [Ru­(bpy)3]2+ mediated cross-linking. By controlling the capillary number of the continuous and dispersed phases, the volumetric flow rate, and the photochemical reaction time within the microfluidic tubing, we demonstrate the construction of protein microgels with controllable and uniform dimensions. Our technique can, in principle, be applied to a wide range of different proteins with biological and responsive properties. This work therefore bridges the gap between hydrogel manufacturing using visible light and microfluidic microgel templating, facilitating numerous biomedical applications.

Citation

Del Giudice, F., Curtis, D. J., & Aufderhorst-Roberts, A. (2024). A New Approach for On-Chip Production of Biological Microgels Using Photochemical Cross-Linking. Analytical Chemistry, 96(25), 10140-10144. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.4c01574

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 3, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Jun 11, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024
• Deposit Date: Jul 18, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 18, 2024
• Journal: Analytical Chemistry
• Print ISSN: 0003-2700
• Electronic ISSN: 1520-6882
• Publisher: American Chemical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 96
• Issue: 25
• Pages: 10140-10144
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.4c01574
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2505473