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A Microfluidic Approach to Encapsulate Living Cells in Uniform Alginate Hydrogel Microparticles |
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| Authors: | Carlos J Martinez Jin Woong Kim Congwang Ye Idelise Ortiz Amy C Rowat Manuel Marquez David Weitz |
| Institution: | 1. School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, 701 West Stadium Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47907‐2045, USA;2. Department of Applied Chemistry, Hanyang University, 55 Hanyangdaehak‐ro, Sangnok‐gu, Ansan‐si, Gyeonggi‐do 426‐791, Korea;3. Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA;4. Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;5. Department of Mechanical Engineering, 401 West Main Street, Room E3221, P.O. Box 843015, Richmond, VA 23284‐3015, USA;6. School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA |
| Abstract: | A microfluidic technique is described to encapsulate living cells in alginate hydrogel microparticles generated from monodisperse double‐emulsion templates. A microcapillary device is used to fabricate double emulsion templates composed of an alginate drop surrounded by a mineral oil shell. Hydrogel formation begins when the alginate drop separates from the mineral oil shell and comes into contact with Ca2+ ions in the continuous phase. Alginate hydrogel microparticles with diameters ranging from 60 to 230 µm are obtained. 65% of the cells encapsulated in the alginate microparticles were viable after one week. The technique provides a useful means to encapsulate the living cells in monodisperse hydrogel microparticles.  |
| Keywords: | alginate hydrogels cells double emulsions encapsulation microfluidics |