Experimental Design

Device: 96-Well Plate

We used a Cellvis manufactured 96 Well glass bottom plate with #0 (0.085mm-0.115 mm) cover glass

(dimension units in mm)

In Each Well

Hydrogel Creation

Methacrylation of glass bottom and PA solution I placed in the well
Light mineral oil added to the wells to create a flat interface between the two liquids
1st gel layer is formed through UV curing with Irgacure 2959
1st gel layer dehydrated
PA solution II used to rehydrate 1st gel layer
Micropatterned photomask placed beneath the cover glass
Patterned 2nd gel layer formed by UV curing
The gels are then functionalized with sulfo sanpah and gelatin

The Use of Durotaxis

Durotaxis is the cellular migration caused by the cell's integrin response to a stiffness gradient in the extracellular matrix. Most cells migrate up a stiffness gradient towards regions of higher Young's Modulus

Cells aligned randomly on a hydrogel

For simplicity of early stage culturing, hardy cell lines such as 3T3 fibroblast cells should be used.
Cardiomyocytes can be plated into the device in the future stages of the project.

Cells migrated to the linear stiff part on the patterned hydrogel

Plated 3T3 cells are expected to align themselves to the stiff part of the hydrogel created, due to Durotaxis phenomenon showed above.

Cardiovascular Drug Testing

In the future stages of the project

A graphene monolayer will be incorporated into the second layer of the gel during the patterning process
Healthy cardiomyocytes will be cultured on our micropatterned graphene hydrogel
Cardiomyocytes will be electrically stimulated by use of graphene's photoelectric effect
A variety of drugs will be applied to wells containing cardiomyocytes
Electrical responses of the cardiomyocytes will be tested using Fura-2 Assay to check the drug's effect on the cells

Page Leaders: Jingwen Lu & Jessey Velasquez

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