Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/206943
Development of hydrogel cavities of tuneable stiffness for the growth of epithelial crypts
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Abstract
Depending on their function, the epithelial cell monolayers that line the inner surfaces of organs
adopt a variety of three-dimensional shapes. Traditional studies in vitro have been using mainly flat
cell culture dishes, overseeing the impact of these in vivo shapes in tissue function. Recent
research has begun to address this issue, by trying to mimic the 3D structures found in tissues.
However, those novel culture platforms still have some limitations, especially in cases where the
architecture must correspond with the original tissue’s stiffness. Tissues have a quite low
physiological rigidity, and most of the microfabrication techniques used nowadays need quite firm
materials to achieve the desired 3D structures without issue. A type of structure difficult to fabricate
using soft materials are invaginations, which can be found in vivo in kidneys, lungs, and the small
intestine. Low rigidity substrates are typically characterized by high deformability and lack of
structural support, which can result in unprecise final features due to distortions of the material
during the microfabricating process.
In this project, 3D cavities have been fabricated into polyacrylamide (PA), a material which allows
the tuneability of its rigidity by changing the proportion of acrylamides during the synthesis of the
prepolymer solution. Replica moulding has been employed to acquire these structures. The
invaginations successfully recreated key aspects of the in vivo environment, both with their shape
and stiffness, and multiple copies were created easily, enabling precise characterization. Finally,
after the assessment of the mechanical properties and the architectural features of the
microcavities, the functionalization of the samples was successful, confirming the suitability of the
resulting scaffold as a model to study epithelial growth, morphology, and conformity in these inward
bended structures.
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Treballs Finals de Grau d'Enginyeria Biomèdica. Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut. Universitat de Barcelona. Curs: 2023-2024. Tutor/Director: Jordi Comelles Pujadas
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SANLLEHÍ I BARCELÓ, Victòria. Development of hydrogel cavities of tuneable stiffness for the growth of epithelial crypts. [consulted: 14 of June of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/206943