Collection: Hydragels

BIOGELX™ HYDROGELS OFFER OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE 3D IN-VITRO MODELS WHICH MIMIC REALISTIC CELLULAR ENVIRONMENTS

Biogelx™ TM hydrogel technology is based on SIMPLE, SHORT SELF-ASSEMBLING PEPTIDES. Typical products combine a structural, fiber-forming peptide with functional peptides, which introduce (bio-) chemical functionality to the surface of the fibers. The result is a nanofibrous network with a similar nanoscale matrix structure to that of NATIVE EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX extracellular matrix (ECM) in human tissue.

The beauty of this simple peptide technology is that both the MECHANICAL and CHEMICAL PROPERTIES of the hydrogels can be INDEPENDENTLY ADJUSTED to provide an optimal environment for the culture of a variety of cell types.

In addition to being ABLE TO TUNE THE STIFFNESS of the hydrogels to match a broad range of tissue types, products which incorporate biomimetic peptide sequences of key ECM proteins such as fibronectin, laminin, and collagen are available to encourage cellmatrix interactions. The ability to incorporate such functionality allows Biogelx™ hydrogels to provide SYNTHETIC YET BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE alternatives to animal-derived 3D matrices such as Matrigel and collagen.

Our hydrogel products are shipped as a lyophilised powder which means an EXTENDED SHELF LIFE, simple handling, and greater flexibility to tailor the gels to your requirements.

When the Biogelx™ powder is added to water, the peptides self-assemble to form fibers producing what is known as a “pre-gel” solution. This pre-gel has a CELL-FRIENDLY NEUTRAL pH, and it is at this stage that cells can be encapsulated for 3D cell culture techniques. It is only when this pre-gel solution comes in contact with divalent cations (e.g. Ca 2+) in cell culture media that gelation take place to form the final gel.

The gelation process is triggered in a controlled manner, with NO pH OR TEMPERATURE REQUIREMENTS. As such, the materials are amenable to a huge variety of handling techniques, can be used in standard 2D/3D WELL PLATE FORMATS (384–6 well), are compatible with automated liquid handling systems, and are injectable.

Our powder format allows EASY INCORPORATION OF APPLICATION-SPECIFIC PROTEINS, GROWTH FACTORS, or other BIOACTIVE MOLECULES e.g. drug molecules into the hydrogels.