Stretching Device Operation, Stretching and Imaging
5:42
Results: Representative Gel Strain Stretching and Gel Fiber Alignment Analysis
7:02
Conclusion
Transcript
Biological tissues grow in three-dimensional soft environments through which cells are exposed to various mechanical cues. Our method allows the stretching of hydrogels in a three-dimensional manner for the investigation of biomechanical responses
Sign in or start your free trial to access this content
The presented method involves uniaxial stretching of 3D soft hydrogels embedded in silicone rubber while allowing live confocal microscopy. Characterization of the external and internal hydrogel strains as well as fiber alignment are demonstrated. The device and protocol developed can assess the response of cells to various strain regimes.