Microgel Beads

a microscopic image of microgel beads functionalized with green A488 fluorescence, including a sizing scale

Product Details

Our deformable microgel beads are designed to mimic the physical properties of cells, such as size and elasticity, making them ideal for establishing a baseline for various procedures. What sets our beads apart is the ability to precisely control both their size and elasticity, enabling unique applications in the field of mechanobiology.

Applications

Mechanical standard in cell mechanics: provide a reliable reference for cell mechanical measurements. [1]
Cell-scale stress sensors: deform under stress to measure cell-scale forces both in vitro and in vivo. [2] [3]

3D scaffolds and granular hydrogels: Used as components in the assembly of 3D granular scaffolds that decouple porosity and elasticity. [4]

References

[1] "Standardized microgel beads as elastic cell mechanical probes", Journal of Materials Chemistry B, (2018) [2] "Polyacrylamide bead sensors for in vivo quantification of cell-scale stress in zebrafish development", Scientific Reports, (2019) [3] "3D microenvironment stiffness regulates tumor spheroid growth and mechanics via p21 and ROCK", Advanced Biosystems, (2019) [4] "Colloidal crystals of compliant microgel beads to study cell migration and mechanosensitivity in 3D", Soft Matter, (2019)

Specifications

Name

Mean Diameter (µm)

Coefficient of Variation

Mean Young's Modulus (kPa)

Functionalization

PAC15_soft

14.0 < d < 17.0

< 6%

< 3.0

None
Alexa Fluor™ 488
Poly-L-Lysine
NH₂

PAC15_medium

14.0 < d < 17.0

< 6%

3.0 < YM < 7.0

None
Alexa Fluor™ 488
Poly-L-Lysine
NH₂

PAC15_stiff

14.0 < d < 17.0

< 6%

> 7.0

None
Alexa Fluor™ 488
Poly-L-Lysine
NH₂

Beads with around 40 µm and 100 µm mean diameters are also available, and different fluorophores can also be used. We can accommodate specific requests. Please contact us to discuss your needs.

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