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Hydrogels

A hydrogel is constituted of a network of hydrophilic polymeric chains that can associate with large quantity of water without dissolving.

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About this material

A hydrogel is constituted of a network of hydrophilic polymeric chains that can associate with large quantity of water without dissolving. Due to the nature of its composition, being mostly water, it has a high biocompatibility. The polymeric chains of the gel can be engineered to give a wide spectrum of capabilities to the material such as environmental response, mechanical properties and chemical properties. Hydrogels make very interesting platforms for the development of various tissue engineering applications (3D scaffold for cell culture or cell seeding, cell encapsulation, nanoparticles, etc.) and find their way to new microfluidics and personal diagnostic devices. The development of those hydrogels requires precise characterization of their mechanical properties.

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Case studies (5)

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November 2, 2026 · Journal Articles

Robotic winding of wet-spun fibers for biofabrication of aligned, perfusable, muscle-based tissue

Joseph R Broomhead; Kyle Y Kunisaki; Johanna M Teegarden; Kallie L Frett; Caleb D Vogt; Aidan S Johnson; Siddhant Yelwande; Elizabeth C Yao; Zahra Khosrowpour; Michael Kyba; Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari

Biofabrication. 2026;18(4):045019. Published online 2 November 2026. DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/aeb3b9

0 citations · 0 in 2025–2026

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September 15, 2026 · Journal Articles

Injectable Dynamically Crosslinked Zwitterionic Hydrogels as a Viscosupplement for Osteoarthritis Treatment

Nahieli Preciado Rivera; Mara Jenkins; Duy Anh Pham; Norma A. Garza Flores; Christina McCabe; Anuj Saini; Gurpreet K. Randhawa; Mandana Tavakolian; Saanvi Sood; Mackenzie Belchos; Isabella Jun; Xavier Banquy; Todd Hoare

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 2026;18(37):50647–50662. First published 15 September 2026. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6c15705

0 citations · 0 in 2025–2026

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July 24, 2026 · Journal Articles

Light-based vat-polymerization of electroconductive gelatin methacryloyl composite hydrogels for soft tissue interfacing

Kamil Elkhoury; Jiarui Zhou; Sadaf Usmani; Vinod Nagarajan; Abhay Menon; Maylis Boitet; Jacques H. Hacquebord; Lukasz Witek; Khalil Ramadi; Sanjairaj Vijayavenkataraman

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Volume 377, 2026, 153674, ISSN 0141-8130, October 2026

1 citation · 1 in 2025–2026

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July 18, 2026 · Journal Articles

Internal lysis of contracted clots is accelerated by fiber alignment and bundling

Rebecca A. Risman; Eva Iungbliudt; Joshua Packard; Igor Novikov; Mason Lee Verhaeghe; John W. Weisel; Brittany E. Bannish; Valeri Barsegov; Nathan E. Hudson; Valerie Tutwiler

Journal Articles, 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtha.2026.07.007 Original author manuscript from PMC; no PDF distributed for this version.

0 citations · 0 in 2025–2026

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March 2026 · Journal Articles

Highly tunable chitosan and carboxymethylated dextran hydrogels crosslinked with NHS/EDC with potential application for preventing postoperative adhesions

Vaiana Moreau; Benoît Liberelle; Faranak Baniahmad; Nick Virgilio; Gregory De Crescenzo

Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications, Volume 13, 2026, 101101, ISSN 2666-8939, Published: March 2026

0 citations · 0 in 2025–2026

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January 18, 2026 · Journal Articles

Synergistic DLP bioprinting of high-fidelity nerve guidance conduits using a chitosan–collagen methacryloyl conductive bioink with neurotrophic factors

Kaushik Sunder; Gopinathan Janarthanan; Vinod Nagarajan; Jawaher AlYammahi; Dhruv Patel; Sanjairaj Vijayavenkataraman

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Volume 342, Part 1, 2026, 150376, ISSN 0141-8130, Published: February 2026

5 citations · 5 in 2025–2026

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2026 · Meeting abstracts & presentations

Engineering thymus viscoelasticity and microstructure integrating chaotropic salts in gels

Francesco Fontana; Arti Ahluwalia; Ludovica Cacopardo

TERMIS-EU2026,Palma de Mallorca,April2026,contribution599. Original one-page poster and complete original seven-paragraph proceedings abstract independently matched by exact title and three authors. Proceedings collection DOI10.1177/19373341261471372 is not an individual-contribution DOI; collection firstonline2026-07-09. No exact presentation day claimed. Separate from ESB2024andScientificReports2026; identitywithmalformedScholarC0199notestablished.

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December 2025 · Journal Articles

Tuning the Young’s modulus of gelatin methacryloyl hydrogels with masked stereolithography bioprinting

Yasemin A. Geiger; Benedikt K. Kaufmann; Bastian E. Hartmann; Matthias Rudolph; Eduardo Romero Borrero; Andreia Silva; Oliver Hayden; Hauke Clausen-Schaumann; Stefanie Sudhop

Bioprinting, Volume 52, 2025, e00455, ISSN 2405-8866, Published: December 2025

0 citations · 0 in 2025–2026

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November 10, 2025 · Journal Articles

Towards tunable mechanical properties of in situ gelling chitosan hydrogels: impact of macromolecular structure including pattern of acetylation

Inès Hamouda; Maïlys Da Rocha Moreau; Lisa Basso; Stéphane Trombotto; Alexandra Montembault; Laurent David; Sophie Lerouge

Carbohydrate Polymers, Volume 373, 2026, 124679, ISSN 0144-8617, Published: 1 February 2026

2 citations · 2 in 2025–2026

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October 14, 2025 · Journal Articles

Injectable Dual‐Crosslinked Poly(oligo(Ethylene Glycol) Methacrylate) Hydrogels Inspired by Mussel Adhesion for Cutaneous Wound Healing and Functional Tissue Regeneration

Gurpreet Kaur Randhawa; Meghan Kostashuk; Zhicheng Pan; Nils Nordstrom; Thomas Kalab; Erica Winterhelt; Todd Hoare

Advanced Healthcare Materials. 2026;15(5):e02866. doi: 10.1002/adhm.202502866 Online: 2025-10-14.

6 citations · 6 in 2025–2026

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July 24, 2025 · Journal Articles

Injection of vocal fold lamina propria-derived hydrogels modulates fibrosis in injured vocal folds

Camilo Mora-Navarro; Ethan Smith; Ziyu Wang; Maria del C. Ramos-Alamo; Leonard Collins; Nour Awad; Denzel Ryan D. Cruz; Tammy S. Tollison; Ian Huntress; Gary Gartling; Ryosuke Nakamura; Gregory R. Dion; Xinxia Peng; Ryan C. Branski; Donald O. Freytes

Biomaterials Advances, Volume 178, 2026, 214424, ISSN 2772-9508, January 2026

11 citations · 11 in 2025–2026

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May 2025 · Thesis

3D Bioprinting of Perfusable Cardiac Patches to Treat Myocardial Infarction

Boeun Hwang

Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, PhD dissertation, May 2025 (cover). Repository metadata date 19 February 2025 is not used as publication day. Original complete English summary: PDF pp.13–14 and repository description. Methods 3.1.2 and 3.1.7: PDF pp.50 and 53. Human detail refers to HUVECs in the patch, not native human heart. Probe dimension copied without assuming radius or diameter. Thesis and associated journal article remain distinct bibliographic documents.

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April 8, 2025 · Journal Articles

Protocol for 3D bioprinting of a 3D in vitro model of neuroblastoma

Mehdi Salar Amoli; Sarah Rezapourdamanab; Linqi Jin; Melissa A. Cadena; Kaveeta Kaw; Vani Sridhar; Mostafa Meselhe; Sarah Krikor; Morteza Mahmoudi; Liqun Ning; Jenny Shim; Martin L. Tomov; Kelly C. Goldsmith; Vahid Serpooshan

STAR Protocols, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2025, 103725, ISSN 2666-1667, 20 June 2025

6 citations · 6 in 2025–2026

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March 28, 2025 · Journal Articles

Biofabrication of tri-layered nerve guide conduits for peripheral nerve regeneration: Synergizing melt-electrowriting of polymeric fibers and extrusion-based 3D bioprinting

Jiarui Zhou; Kamil Elkhoury; Soja Saghar Soman; Sanjairaj Vijayavenkataraman

International Journal of Bioprinting 11(2) (2025), 530–544. Published online 28 March 2025. Original abstract: English. Mach-1 tested molded GelMA cylinders; PCL tensile tests used an Instron 5965 and solution rheology used Anton Paar.

6 citations · 6 in 2025–2026

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February 12, 2025 · Journal Articles

Design and characterization of an optical phantom for mesoscopic multimodal fluorescence lifetime imaging and optical coherence elastography

Luis Chavez; Shan Gao; Vikas Pandey; Nanxue Yuan; Saif Ragab; Jiayue Li; Matt S. Hepburn; Percy Smith; Caroline Edelheit; David T. Corr; Brendan F. Kennedy; Xavier Intes

Biomedical Optics Express Vol. 16, Issue 3, pp. 1006-1024 (2025), Published: February 12, 2025

3 citations · 2 in 2025–2026

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February 8, 2025 · Journal Articles

Mesenchymal stem cells from perinatal tissues promote diabetic wound healing via PI3K/AKT activation

Jiawei Huang; Qingwen Deng; Lai Ling Tsang; Guozhu Chang; Jinghui Guo; Ye Chun Ruan; Chi Chiu Wang; Gang Li; Hon Fai Chan; Xiaohu Zhang; Xiaohua Jiang

Stem Cell Res Ther 16, 59 (2025), Published: 08 February 2025

39 citations · 39 in 2025–2026

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January 15, 2025 · Journal Articles

Biomechanically inspired composite hydrogel bioink enhances engineered cartilage formation

Zheyuan Zhou; Fengjie Zhang; Chao Wan

International Journal of Bioprinting 11(2) (2025), 316–335. Published online 15 January 2025. Original abstract: English. Mechanical specimens were cell-free printed hydrogels; recipient mice and cultured chondrocytes are separate biological experiments.

1 citation · 1 in 2025–2026

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2025 · Thesis

Engineering a Translatable, Retrievable Islet Transplant Site with Microporous Scaffolds to Treat Type 1 Diabetes

Jessica L. King; Christopher Spencer; Richard Youngblood; Kelly Crumley; Elizabeth Bealer; Peter Rios; Ira Joshi; Sofia Ghani; Douglas Isa; James McGarrigle; David Cook; Conor Locke; Adam Abraham; Andrea Clark; José Oberholzer; Lonnie D. Shea

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of Michigan, 2025

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2024 · Thesis

Biomaterial-based Nerve Conduit for Spinal Cord Injury Patients

Aya Ayman Ragheb Nasser

Khalifa University, MSc in Applied Chemistry, July 2024. Original English thesis abstract, PDF page 3. Section 3.5.7, PDF page 32, confirms compression of GelMA-MXene hydrogel cylinders using Mach-1 v500cs. No donor-species detail is inferred from gelatin or the spinal cord indication; no spinal cord tissue was tested on Mach-1.

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2024 · Draft Version (Not Published Yet)

Dithiolane-ene Photopolymerization of Covalent and Supramolecular Networks Permits Cyclic Compressive Loading in 3D Cell Culture

Ying Chen; Ciqing Tong; Merel L. Janssen; Isabel Sariol; Joeri A. J. Wondergem; Marijn van den Brink; Rob G. H. H. Nelissen; Doris Heinrich; Yolande F. M. Ramos; Roxanne E. Kieltyka

Research manuscript reproduced as Chapter 3, pp.65–111, in Ying Chen, Squaramide-based interpenetrated networks for load-bearing applications. Doctoral thesis, Leiden University,2024. This is the 2024 thesis manuscript, not the separately titled 2026 journal article; no manuscript DOI established.

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2024 · Journal Articles

Protocol for 3D bioprinting of nanoparticle-laden hydrogels to enhance antibacterial and imaging properties

Mehdi Salar Amoli; Linqi Jin; Sarah Rezapourdamanab; Maher Saadeh; Yamini Singh; Liqun Ning; Boeun Hwang; Martin L. Tomov; Christopher N. LaRock; Morteza Mahmoudi; Holly Bauser-Heaton; Vahid Serpooshan

STAR Protocols, Volume 5, Issue 4, 2024, 103393, ISSN 2666-1667, 20 December 2024

0 citations · 0 in 2025–2026

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2024 · Journal Articles

Regulation of metabolic microenvironment with a nanocomposite hydrogel for improved bone fracture healing

Kangkang Zha; Meijun Tan; Yiqiang Hu; Weixian Hu; Shengming Zhang; Yanzhi Zhao; Ze Lin; Wenqian Zhang; Hang Xue; Bobin Mi; Wu Zhou; Qian Feng; Faqi Cao; Guohui Liu

Bioactive Materials, Volume 37, 2024, Pages 424-438, ISSN 2452-199X, Available online: 24 April 2024

38 citations · 35 in 2025–2026

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2024 · Thesis

Study of oral bacterial adhesion to a gelatin- and alginate-based hydrogel [English translation]

Xavier Minne

Étude de l’adhérence de bactéries buccales sur un hydrogel à base de gélatine et d’alginate. Mémoire de maîtrise en microbiologie, Université Laval, 2024. Website title is an identified English translation; the original abstract is French and reproduced in full with user authorization.

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2023 · Journal Articles

Load-induced fluid pressurisation in hydrogel systems before and after reinforcement by melt-electrowritten fibrous meshes

Eng Kuan Moo; Mohammadhossein Ebrahimi; Andrei Hrynevich; Mylène de Ruijter; Miguel Castilho; Jos Malda; Rami K. Korhonen

Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, Volume 143, 2023, 105941, ISSN 1751-6161, Published:

10 citations · 7 in 2025–2026

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2023 · Journal Articles

Preparation and characterization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/chitosan composite films using acetic acid as a solvent

Yulia V. Zhuikova; Vsevolod A. Zhuikov; Tatiana K. Makhina; Yuri M. Efremov; Nadezhda A. Aksenova; Peter S. Timashev; Garina A. Bonartseva; Valery P. Varlamov

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Volume 248, 2023, 125970, ISSN 0141-8130, Published: 01 September 2023

13 citations · 9 in 2025–2026

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September 13, 2022 · Journal Articles

Affibody-mediated controlled release of fibroblast growth factor 2

Chiara Bostock; Carter J. Teal; Mickael Dang; Alex W. Golinski; Benjamin J. Hackel; Molly S. Shoichet

Journal of Controlled Release 350 (2022), 815–828. Available online 13 September 2022. Publisher PDF linked publicly from the author laboratory’s official publications page. Original complete English abstract copied from PDF p.1. Section 2.2.17.3, PDF p.6, documents gel cylinders removed from wells and compressed between flat platens, without a lateral confining chamber. Adjacent injectability measurements used Mark-10 and rheological measurements used TA Discovery HR-2, not Mach-1. No cellular or donor species assigned to these acellular gel mechanics tests.

19 citations · 11 in 2025–2026

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July 8, 2022 · Journal Articles

Interplay of matrix stiffness and stress relaxation in directing osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells

Emilie Prouvé; Murielle Rémy; Cécile Feuillie; Michael Molinari; Pascale Chevallier; Bernard Drouin; Gaétan Laroche; Marie-Christine Durrieu

Biomaterials Science. 2022;10(17):4978–4996. First published8July2022; issue7September2022. DOI: 10.1039/d2bm00485b

25 citations · 15 in 2025–2026

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January 29, 2022 · Journal Articles

Lithium chloride-induced primary cilia recovery enhances biosynthetic response of chondrocytes to mechanical stimulation

Arianna Soave; Loraine L. Y. Chiu; Aisha Momin; Stephen D. Waldman

Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology. 2022;21(2):605-614. DOI:10.1007/s10237-021-01551-4. First online 2022-01-29. Methods provenance:Soave2021thesis;quantitative same-study correspondence verified. Not an explicit reprint;final journal methods not independently read.

9 citations · 4 in 2025–2026

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2022 · Journal Articles

3D bioprinting of nanoparticle-laden hydrogel scaffolds with enhanced antibacterial and imaging properties

Andrea S. Theus; Liqun Ning; Gabriella Kabboul; Boeun Hwang; Martin L. Tomov; Christopher N. LaRock; Holly Bauser-Heaton; Morteza Mahmoudi; Vahid Serpooshan

ISCIENCE (2022), doi: https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.104947, Accepted Date: 11 August 2022

34 citations · 15 in 2025–2026

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2022 · Preprints

Cartilage-penetrating hyaluronic acid hydrogel preserves tissue content and reduces chondrocyte catabolism

Michael A. Kowalski; Lorenzo M. Fernandes; Kyle E. Hammond; Sameh Labib; Hicham Drissi; Jay M. Patel

bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.17.492335; this version posted May 19, 2022

23 citations · 11 in 2025–2026

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2022 · Journal Articles

Chemically and mechanically defined hyaluronan hydrogels emulate the extracellular matrix for unbiased in vivo and in vitro organoid formation and drug testing in cancer

Alexander E.G. Baker; Laura C. Bahlmann; Chang Xue; Yung Hsiang (John) Lu; Allysia A. Chin; Jennifer Cruickshank; David W. Cescon; Molly S. Shoichet

Chemically and mechanically defined hyaluronan hydrogels emulate the extracellular matrix for unbiased in vivo and in vitro organoid formation and drug testing in cancer, Materials Today, Volume 56, 2022, Pages 96-113, ISSN 1, Published: February 25, 2022

39 citations · 18 in 2025–2026

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2022 · Journal Articles

Effect of Chitosan on Alginate-Based Macroporous Hydrogels for the Capture of Glioblastoma Cancer Cells

Caroline Safi; Angela Giraldo Solano; Benoit Liberelle; Hélène Therriault; Lisa Delattre; Melek Abdelkhalek; Changsheng Wang; Simon Bergeron-Fortier; Vaiana Moreau; Gregory De Crescenzo; Nathalie Faucheux; Marc-Antoine Lauzon; Benoit Paquette; Nick Virgilio

ACS Appl. Bio Mater. 2022, XXXX, XXX, XXX-XXX, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsabm.2c00598, Publication Date: August 10, 2022

15 citations · 7 in 2025–2026

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2022 · Journal Articles

Enhancing cartilage repair with optimized supramolecular hydrogel-based scaffold and pulsed electromagnetic field

Yucong Li; Linlong Li; Ye Li; Lu Feng; Bin Wang; Ming Wang; Haixing Wang; Meiling Zhu; Yongkang Yang; Erik I. Waldorff; Nianli Zhang; Ingmar Viohl; Sien Lin; Liming Bian; Wayne Yuk-Wai Lee; Gang Li

Bioactive Materials, Volume 22, 2023, Pages 312-324, ISSN 2452-199X, Published: 12 October 2022

56 citations · 26 in 2025–2026

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2022 · Preprints

Methacrylate-Modified Gold Nanoparticles Enable Non-Invasive Monitoring of Photocrosslinked Hydrogel Scaffolds

Lan Li; Carmen J. Gil; Tyler A. Finamore; Connor J. Evans; Martin L. Tomov; Liqun Ning; Andrea Theus; Gabriella Kabboul; Vahid Serpooshan; Ryan K. Roeder

bioRxiv, Preprint, Published: January 28, 2022 doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.01.26.477960

1 citation · 0 in 2025–2026

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2022 · Thesis

Thermosensitive chitosan-based hydrogels for extrusion-based bioprinting and injectable scaffold for articular tissue engineering

Maedeh Rahimnejad

Université de Montréal. PhD thesis in Biomedical Engineering, February 2022. Original abstract: English. Mechanical specimens were printed or molded hydrogels; human MSC and mouse fibroblast culture experiments are separate.

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October 27, 2021 · Journal Articles

Lightweight and flexible conducting polymer sponges and hydrogels for electromagnetic interference shielding

Biporjoy Sarkar; Xinda Li; Eric Quenneville; Louis-Philippe Carignan; Ke Wu; Fabio Cicoira

Journal of Materials Chemistry C. 2021;9(46):16558–16565. First published 27 October 2021; issue 14 December 2021. DOI: 10.1039/d1tc04008a

35 citations · 11 in 2025–2026

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2021 · Journal Articles

Thermo-responsive chitosan/silk fibroin/amino-functionalized mesoporous silica hydrogels with strong and elastic characteristics for bone tissue engineering

Yifeng Yu; Xiaofeng Yu; Danlei Tian; Aixi Yu; Ying Wan

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Volume 182, 2021, Pages 1746-1758, ISSN 0141-8130, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.05.166.

37 citations · 13 in 2025–2026

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December 11, 2020 · Journal Articles

Role of temperature on bio-printability of gelatin methacryloyl bioink in two-step cross-linking strategy for tissue engineering applications

Mohsen Janmaleki; Jun Liu; Milad Kamkar; Milad Azarmanesh; Uttandaraman Sundararaj; Amir Sanati Nezhad

Janmaleki M, Liu J, Kamkar M, Azarmanesh M, Sundararaj U, Sanati Nezhad A. Biomedical Materials. 16 (2021) 015021. Published online 11 December 2020. DOI: 10.1088/1748-605X/abbcc9. Original publisher PDF: title/authors/abstract/date p2, Mach-1 methods p4.

64 citations · 19 in 2025–2026

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January 15, 2020 · Journal Articles

Anthropomorphic and biomechanical mockup for abdominal aortic aneurysm

Zinan He; Rosaire Mongrain; Simon Lessard; Boris Chayer; Guy Cloutier; Gilles Soulez

Medical Engineering and Physics 77 (2020), 60–68. Original publisher PDF hosted by the author laboratory (LBUM, CRCHUM). Electronic publication date 15 January 2020 confirmed by PubMed 31954613. Original abstract: English. Human detail applies to the surgical AAA tissue, not the synthetic hydrogel or silicone. Tensile tests were performed using a Bose Enduratec ELF 3200, not Mach-1.

4 citations · 2 in 2025–2026

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2020 · Journal Articles

Embedded 3D Bioprinting of Gelatin Methacryloyl-Based Constructs with Highly Tunable Structural Fidelity

Liqun Ning; Riya Mehta; Cong Cao; Andrea Theus; Martin Tomov; Ning Zhu; Eric R. Weeks; Holly Bauser-Heaton; Vahid Serpooshan

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2020, XXXX, Publication Date: September 23, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c15078

165 citations · 49 in 2025–2026

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2020 · Journal Articles

In situ-gelling starch nanoparticle (SNP)/O-carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) nanoparticle network hydrogels for the intranasal delivery of an antipsychotic peptide

Michael J. Majcher; Ali Babar; Andrew Lofts; Ashlyn Leung; Xiaoyun Li; Fahed Abu-Hijleh; Niels M.B. Smeets; Ram K. Mishra; Todd Hoare

Journal of Controlled Release, 2020, ISSN 0168-3659, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.12.050

79 citations · 22 in 2025–2026

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2020 · Reports

Mechanical and Glucose Stimulation of Bovine Chondrocytes Affect ECM Synthesis

Christian Lecce

Ryerson University. MEng major research project, 2020. Repository/Scholar date 2023 differs from cover year and repository Year field. The introductory protocol differs from Methods; the equipment note follows the explicit Methods section. Original abstract: English.

0 citations · 0 in 2025–2026

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2020 · Journal Articles

Nanocolloidal Hydrogel with Sensing and Antibacterial Activities Governed by Iron Ion Sequestration

Mahshid Chekini; Elena Krivoshapkina; Liubov Shkodenko; Elena Koshel; Maria Shestovskaya; Marina Dukhinova; Sina Kheiri; Nancy Khuu; Eugenia Kumacheva

Chem. Mater. 2020, XXXX, XXX, XXX-XXX Publication Date:November 16, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.0c03362

62 citations · 18 in 2025–2026

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2020 · Journal Articles

Nonswelling, Ultralow Content Inverse Electron-Demand Diels–Alder Hyaluronan Hydrogels with Tunable Gelation Time: Synthesis and In Vitro Evaluation

Vianney Delplace; Philip E. B. Nickerson; Arturo Ortin‐Martinez; Alexander E. G. Baker; Valerie A. Wallace; Molly S. Shoichet

Advanced Functional Materials 30(14), 1903978 (2020). Original publisher PDF deposited on the author laboratory website. Original abstract: English. Retinal explant imaging and photoreceptor culture are separate from mechanical testing of the hydrogels.

70 citations · 15 in 2025–2026

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2020 · Journal Articles

Phosphorylation of chitosan to improve osteoinduction of chitosan/xanthan-based scaffolds for periosteal tissue engineering

Renata Francielle Bombaldi de Souza; Fernanda Carla Bombaldi de Souza; Andrea Thorpe; Diego Mantovani; Ketul C. Popat; Ângela Maria Moraes

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules Volume 143, 15 January 2020, Pages 619-632 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.12.004

102 citations · 26 in 2025–2026

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2020 · Journal Articles

Photochemically Activated Notch Signaling Hydrogel Preferentially Differentiates Human Derived Hepatoblasts to Cholangiocytes

Muhammad Rizwan; Ana Fokina; Tove Kivijärvi; Mina Ogawa; Markus Kufleitner; Onofrio Laselva; Laura J. Smith; Christine E. Bear; Shinichiro Ogawa; Gordon Keller; Molly S. Shoichet

Advanced Functional Materials. First published: 23 October 2020 https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202006116

26 citations · 7 in 2025–2026

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2019 · Journal Articles

Comparative study on complexes formed by chitosan and different polyanions: Potential of chitosan-pectin biomaterials as scaffolds in tissue engineering

Fernanda Carla Bombaldi de Souza; Renata Francielle Bombaldi de Souza; Bernard Drouin; Diego Mantovani; Ângela Maria Moraes

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Volume 132, 1 July 2019, Pages 178-189

47 citations · 7 in 2025–2026

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2019 · Journal Articles

Multi-modal characterization of polymeric gels to determine the influence of testing method on observed elastic modulus

David M. Kingsley; Caitlin H. McCleery; Christopher D.L. Johnson; Michael T.K. Bramson; Deniz Rende; Ryan J. Gilbert; David T. Corr

Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, available online 10 January 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2019.01.003

33 citations · 15 in 2025–2026

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July 24, 2018 · Journal Articles

Promoting intracellular delivery of sub-25 nm nanoparticles via defined levels of compression

Hongrong Yang; Yifei Yao; Huize Li; Lok Wai Cola Ho; Bohan Yin; Wing-Yin Yung; Ken Cham-Fai Leung; Arthur Fuk-Tat Mak; Chung Hang Jonathan Choi

Nanoscale.2018;10(31):15090–15102. Firstonline24July2018;issue21August2018. DOI10.1039/c8nr04927k.

16 citations · 3 in 2025–2026

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2018 · Journal Articles

In Situ Cross-Linking of Poly (vinyl alcohol)/Graphene Oxide–Polyethylene Glycol Nanocomposite Hydrogels as Artificial Cartilage Replacement: Intercalation Structure, Unconfined Compressive Behavior, and Biotribological Behaviors

Yeqiao Meng; Lin Ye; Phil Coates; Peter Twigg

J. Phys. Chem. C, 2018, 122 (5), pp 3157–3167 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b12465

75 citations · 9 in 2025–2026

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2017 · Journal Articles

Quantitative mechanical assessment of the whole prostate gland ex vivo using dynamic instrumented palpation

Steven J Hammer; Daniel W Good; Paul Scanlan; Javier Palacio-Torralba; Simon Phipps; Grant D Stewart; Will Shu; Yuhang Chen; S Alan McNeill; Robert L Reuben

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine. 2017.

8 citations · 0 in 2025–2026

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April 27, 2016 · Journal Articles

Transparent Porous Polysaccharide Cryogels Provide Biochemically Defined, Biomimetic Matrices for Tunable 3D Cell Culture

Roger Y. Tam; Stephanie A. Fisher; Alexander E. G. Baker; Molly S. Shoichet

Chemistry of Materials 28 (2016), 3762–3770. Published 27 April 2016. Original publisher PDF deposited by the author laboratory at University of Toronto; title, authors, DOI, complete original abstract and Experimental Section visually checked. PDF p.2 explicitly documents uniaxial unconfined compression of HA-furan/PEG cryogels. Cells and other material assays are not assigned to Mach-1; no donor species is inferred from hyaluronan.

51 citations · 2 in 2025–2026

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2016 · Meeting abstracts & presentations

Cellularized collagen gels for tissue engineered vascular wall: in vitro models alternative to in vivo testing

Loy Caroline; Meghezi S�bastien; Seifu Dawit; Pezzoli Daniele; Bono Nina; Levesque Lucie; Drouin Bernard; Mantovani Diego

Poster #P.0616 on Thursday May 19 from 15:00 to 16:30 in room 220BCD (P3) during World Biomaterials Congress, Montreal, May 2016.

0 citations · 0 in 2025–2026

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2016 · Meeting abstracts & presentations

Highly oriented in situ gelling nanocomposite hydrogels as tissue engineering scaffolds for promoting directional cell growth

De France Kevin; Yager Kevin; Chan Katelyn; Hoare Todd; Cranston Emily

Poster #P.0554 on Thursday, May 19 from 15:00 to 16:30 in room 220BCD (P3) during World Biomaterials Congress, Montreal, May 2016

0 citations · 0 in 2025–2026

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2016 · Journal Articles

Hyaluronic Acid-Based Hydrogels Enable Rod Photoreceptor Survival and Maturation In Vitro through Activation of the mTOR Pathway

Nikolaos Mitrousis; Roger Y. Tam; Alexander E. G. Baker; Derek van der Kooy; Molly S. Shoichet

Advanced Functional Materials 26, 1975–1985 (2016). Original publisher PDF deposited on the author laboratory website. Original abstract: English. Mechanical specimens are HAPEG hydrogels, not isolated rod photoreceptors.

33 citations · 2 in 2025–2026

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2016 · Meeting abstracts & presentations

The effects of frequency on matrix remodeling induced in dynamically strained collagen-based cellularised scaffolds

Levesque Lucie; Loy Caroline; Lain� Audrey; Bono Nina; Drouin Bernard; Mantovani Diego

Oral.238.51 on Wed May 19 from 16:30 to 18:30 in room 519 during World Biomaterials Congress, Montreal, May 2016

0 citations · 0 in 2025–2026

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2015 · Journal Articles

Photo-cross-linked methacrylated polysaccharide solution blends with high chondrocyte viability, minimal swelling, and moduli similar to load bearing soft tissues

James W.S. Hayami; Stephen D. Waldman; Brian G. Amsden

European Polymer Journal. 2015;72:687–697. November2015issue. DOI:10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2015.01.038. Equipment methods documented in corresponding2014thesis study,Chapter6;finalpublishedmethodsnotindependentlyobtained.

20 citations · 2 in 2025–2026

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2015 · Journal Articles

Tribology-optimised silk protein hydrogels for articular cartilage repair

Maria Parkes; Connor Myant; Daniele Dini; Philippa Cann

Tribology International.2015;89:9–18.DOI:10.1016/j.triboint.2014.11.024. Issue September2015;exact first-online date unverified. Methods provenance:Parkes2014PhD chapter6, matched original publisher preview. Not an explicit reprint; final journal methods not independently read.

36 citations · 3 in 2025–2026

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November 6, 2013 · Journal Articles

Injectable, high modulus, and fatigue resistant composite scaffold for load-bearing soft tissue regeneration

James W. S. Hayami; Stephen D. Waldman; Brian G. Amsden

Hayami JWS, Waldman SD, Amsden BG. Biomacromolecules. 2013. DOI: 10.1021/bm4010595. Original journal abstract: Europe PMC PMID 24147621. Methods: author thesis chapter 5 explicitly reproducing this DOI, physical PDF pp81,88-89.

13 citations · 0 in 2025–2026

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FAQ

What is Young's modulus E?
Intrinsic mechanical property of a material independent of its geometry. From the slope of the stress vs. strain graph during an unconfined compression and considering the geometry of the sample, we can calculate the Young's modulus.

Lab Module — Unconfined compression of hydrogel disks

Lab Module — Tension and rupture of skin

What is Poroelasticity?
Property of an elastic or viscoelastic material with an incompressible free fluid phase. When such a material is put under stress, fluid is released from the solid matrix. The frictional drag generated from the movement of the fluid through the matrix affects the mechanical behavior of such material. These materials are normally tested in a bath of fluid.

Mach-1 Analysis – Poroelastic Model in Unconfined Compression – Parameters

Mach-1 Analysis – Poroelastic Model in Confined Compression – Parameters

Mach-1 Analysis – Poroelastic Model in Confined Compression – Example

Mach-1 Analysis – Poroelastic Model in Unconfined Compression – Cartilage

Mach-1 Analysis – Poroelastic Model in Unconfined Compression – Example

LAB MODULE – Torsion of Disk-Shaped Samples – Student Version

What is the field of strain?
Measurement method allowing the display of a straining pattern of a material under deformation.
What is the shear stress?
The shear stress is the component of the mechanical stress causing deformation of a material by slippage along a plane or planes parallel to the imposed stress. Shear stress arises from shear forces, which are pairs of equal and opposing forces acting on opposite sides of an object. Units are in Pa.

t =F/A, where t = the shear stress, F = the force applied and A = the cross-sectional area of material with area parallel to the applied force vector.

Lab Module — Torsion of bone

Lab Module — Torsion of disk-shaped samples

LAB MODULE – Torsion of Bone – Student Version

LAB MODULE – Torsion of Disk-Shaped Samples – Student Version

What is the shear modulus?
The shear modulus G is a mechanical property of a material. It is independent of the material geometry. It represents the stiffness of a material under a force parallel to one of its surfaces while its opposite face experiences an opposite force. The shear modulus G is described as the shear stress over the shear strain. The shear modulus is extrapolated from the linear regression between shear stress at equilibrium and shear strain.

Lab Module — Torsion of bone

Lab Module — Torsion of disk-shaped samples

LAB MODULE – Torsion of Bone – Student Version

LAB MODULE – Torsion of Disk-Shaped Samples – Student Version

How does the "Elastic Model in Indentation" works?

This tool allows for the computing and visualizing of the shear modulus (MPa) and the Young’s modulus (MPa) from an indentation test performed using a spherical indenter (Figure 1). This model is well adapted for the mechanical characterization of samples (with critical diameter (width) at least 5 times the indenter diameter) bonded on a flat rigid support (at least 10 times stiffer than the sample), for example: any sheet of material lying on a rigid chamber base (limited sliding at the interface can be assumed) or a cartilage layer attached to a thick sub-chondral bone. A user license is required to obtain the results of the elastic model in indentation (Software Add-On, contact Biomomentum to obtain your license).

Results analysis is performed considering the indentation mechanics of an infinitely wide elastic layer bonded to a rigid half-space which has been developed as a model for the layered geometry of cartilage and subchondral bone (Hayes et al., 1972). (Figure 2) shows a schematic representing the modeled situation.

Many parameters need to be specified in order to calculate the different material properties.

1. Indenter Shape is:

  • Spherical
  • Plane-Ended Cylindrical

2. Indenter radius in mm.

3. Poisson ratio can be selected from a drop-down list (Figure 3)


4. Position @ contact is – defines the position of the left cursor:

  • to be curvefit – will automatically find the position contact which will give the smallest mean squared error (mse)
  • the value at t0 – will automatically take the position contact at the start of the curve
  • the following value (mm) – the user need to specify the value in the corresponding field next to the drop-down list
  • cursor position – the user can drag the left cursor to the wanted position contact

5. Sample thickness is the:

  • position @ contact – will automatically find the position at contact (position of the left cursor)
  • following value (mm) – the user need to specify the value in the corresponding field next to the drop-down list

6. Curvefit is up to – defines the position of the right cursor:

  • peak load – will automatically take the position of the peak load
  • delta load (unit) – the user need to specify the value of the desired delta load in the corresponding field next to the drop-down list
  • delta position (mm) – the user need to specify the value of the desired delta position in the corresponding field next to the drop-down list

The error on the estimation of the best curve representing the stress relaxation curve is calculated using the root of the mean squares (RMS) method and is displayed under “RMSE”. For example, (Figure 4) shows parameters used for the “Normal Indentation” (Mach-1 Motion) function in an indentation testing protocol on ovine articular surfaces. Corresponding results are shown in (Figure 1).

Spherical Indentation Guide – Mach-1 Mechanical Tester – Biomomentum

Mach-1 Analysis – Elastic Model in Indentation – Parameters

Mach-1 Analysis – Elastic Model in Indentation – Poisson ratio choices

Mach-1 Analysis – Elastic Model in Indentation – Cartilage & Subchondral bone

Mach-1 Analysis – Elastic Model in Indentation – Example

How does the "Poroelastic Model in Confined Compression" feature works?
This tool allows for the computing and visualizing of the aggregate modulus (MPa), the permeability (mm2/MPa·s) and the mean square error (RMSE) of the fit calculated from a “Stress Relaxation” curve (load or force vs. time) in confined compression (Figure 1) on a disk sample. The curve is fitted to the linear biphasic model (Mow et al., 1980 or Bursać et al., 1999) in order to obtain the mechanical properties of the disk. Sample radius, strain and sample thickness need to be specified.

This model is well adapted for the mechanical characterization of samples containing a liquid fraction and a solid matrix, for example: cartilage or gel samples. A user license is required in order to obtain the results of the poroelastic model in confined compression (Software Add-On, contact Biomomentum to obtain your license).

Mechanical properties can be obtained from the stress relaxation curves obtained under confined compression such as the aggregate modulus (HA) and the hydraulic permeability (k). The aggregate modulus is a measure of stiffness of the sample at equilibrium while the hydraulic permeability is the ability of the fluid to flow through the cartilage matrix.

For example, (Figure 2) shows parameters used for the “Stress Relaxation” function in a confined compression testing protocol on human cartilage disks. Corresponding results are shown in (Figure 1).

Mach-1 Analysis – Poroelastic Model in Confined Compression – Parameters

Mach-1 Analysis – Poroelastic Model in Confined Compression – Example

How does the "Poroelastic Model in Unconfined Compression" feature works?
This tool allows for the computing and visualizing of the fibril network modulus (MPa), the equilibrium modulus (MPa), the permeability (mm2/MPa·s), and the mean square error (RMSE) of the fit calculated from a “Stress Relaxation” curve (load or force vs. time) in unconfined compression (Figure 1) on a disk or osteochondral core sample. The curve is fitted to the linear fibril-network-reinforced biphasic model (Soulhat et al. 1999) in order to obtain the mechanical properties of the disk. Sample radius, strain, and Poisson’s ratio need to be specified. This model is well adapted for the mechanical description of samples containing a liquid fraction and a fibril network, for example: cartilage or gel samples. A user license is required in order to obtain the results of the poroelastic model in unconfined compression (Software Add-On, contact Biomomentum to obtain your license).

The nonhomogeneous composite model (i.e. linear fibril-network-reinforced biphasic model) is an extension of the previously developed isotropic homogeneous biphasic model, and was achieved by reinforcing the latter with a network of nonlinear fibrils distributed homogeneously in the r, θ, z directions and which resist extension only (Figure 2). The isotropic matrix is described by the drained elastic constants Em (Young’s modulus), vm (Poisson’s ratio) and a hydraulic permeability k. The fibril network is described by the Young’s modulus of individual fibrils ef which, combined with a fibril volume fraction χ (fibrils volume/ total-volume), results in an equivalent tensile modulus of the fibril network, Ef = 1/3 χ ef (since 1/3 of the fibrils are oriented in each of three mutually orthogonal directions).

For example, (Figure 3) shows parameters used for the “Stress Relaxation” function in an unconfined compression testing protocol on ovine cartilage disks. Corresponding results are shown in (Figure 1).

Mach-1 Analysis – Poroelastic Model in Unconfined Compression – Parameters

Mach-1 Analysis – Poroelastic Model in Unconfined Compression – Cartilage

Mach-1 Analysis – Poroelastic Model in Unconfined Compression – Example

How does the "Sinusoid" model works?

This feature is used to obtain the Frequency, Amplitude and Offset of a sinusoidal signal. A blue line displays the theoretical sinusoid with the Frequency, Amplitude and Offset obtained (Figure 1). The values of the Frequency, Amplitude and Offset are indicated in the "Results" field. The units vary according to the graph’s axes.

This feature can also be used for sinusoidal stimulus-response analysis. Sinusoidal stimulus shall be selected on the x-axis and the sinusoidal response on the y-axis. The Modulus is the ratio of the response Amplitude over the stimulus Amplitude. The Phase is the phase difference between the response and the stimulus. The Modulus’ is computed as the Modulus*Cos(Phase) and the Modulus” is computed as the Modulus*Sin(Phase). A blue line displays the theoretical sinusoidal stimulus-response with the Frequency, Modulus and Phase obtained (Figure 2). The values of the Modulus and Phase are indicated in the “Results” field. The units vary according to the graph’s axes.

One use for this feature would be to compute material properties by multiplying the Modulus obtained by the appropriate geometric factors. For example, the Young’s Modulus can be obtained during uniaxial compression or tension on cylindrical sample with t/pi*r2 as the geometric factor, t is the thickness and r is the radius of the sample.

Mach-1 Analysis – Sinusoid – Example for stimulus-response analysis

Mach-1 Analysis – Sinusoid – Example for signals analysis

How does the creep function works?
The Creep function moves a stage until a predefined load variation (Load Target (relative to initial load)) is reached and maintains this loading through real-time closed-loop PID adjustment of the stage position. This function can be used, for example, to study the deformation of a sample under constant loading. Note that tuning a PID requires a reasonable amount of closed-loop system understanding. A set of PID parameters optimized for a particular experimental configuration will probably be inappropriate for a different configuration and could even create system instabilities (oscillations) that can result in damage to the system.

Parameters:
STAGE AXIS - On multi-axis systems, the user must specify which axis will perform the “Creep”.
DIRECTION - Specify if the stage has to start moving in the positive or negative direction. With a positive displacement, a vertical stage will move down (compression), a horizontal stage will move right, and a rotation stage will move clockwise. Enter a negative value for stage displacements in opposite directions.
STAGE VELOCITY, MM/S - Specify the speed at which the stage will move. Refer to the specifications of your Mach-1™ model to learn about the velocity range allowed. In Mach-1 Motion, the speed is always specified in absolute value terms.
RELATIVE LOAD TARGET, GF OR N - Specify the relative amount of load to be applied and maintained on the sample. When a value is entered, the stage will initiate its movement until a change in load of that magnitude is reached. The value for Relative Load Target is specified in absolute value terms.
CREEP TIME, SEC - This is the time period during which the relative loading will be maintained. Note that after this period, the final stage position will be maintained.
P GAIN - This is the Proportional gain of the PID control loop. This is the main parameter that drives the feedback loop. Our experiments revealed that a good starting point for the optimization of this parameter is given by P = 0.001 (and I = 0), then raising P in logarithmic increments (0.01, 0.1, 1) until a satisfactory amplitude in reached. The higher the P value, the faster the error will be corrected, however if the P is made too large, the error can go negative (actual load > desired load) which may start a process where the stage starts to oscillate between speeding up and slowing down. This oscillation can result in the motor control system going unstable. A simple way to eliminate this instability would be to decrease P until the oscillation stops.
I GAIN - This is the Integral gain of the PID control loop. Integral control sums the error from each position update then multiplies the sum by the Integral gain, I. Our experiments revealed that for most creep tests, best results are achieved with I = 0. If a residual error exists while holding a load, the I value can also be incrementally increased until the error disappears.

Mach-1 Motion – Creep

What is viscoelasticity?
Property of a material to exhibit both viscous and elastic characteristics when undergoing deformation. Such material will show time-dependent mechanical behavior.

LAB MODULE – Torsion of Disk-Shaped Samples – Student Version

What is the strain rate?
Change in strain or deformation of a material with respect to time.
What is the elasticity?
Property of a material to deform under load or strain and to return to its original shape when the stress is released.

Lab Module — Torsion of bone

LAB MODULE – Unconfined Compression of Hydrogel Disks – Student Version

LAB MODULE – Torsion of Bone – Student Version

What is the stiffness K?
A structural property of a sample. By plotting force vs. displacement during an unconfined compression and extracting the slope, we obtain the stiffness of the sample. In Mach-1 Analysis, the slope is in gram-force per mm (gf/mm). The gram-force is 1 gram multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity on Earth, exactly 9.80665 m/s².

Lab Module — Unconfined compression of hydrogel disks

What is dynamic mechanical testing?
A periodic stimulus is applied axially (tension/compression), or in shear (planar or torsion) to a material. Dynamic mechanical properties can be assessed from its response, which will vary depending on the composition of the material. The shear modulus calculated from a dynamic mechanical testing can be defined as G*.

Lab Module — Torsion of disk-shaped samples

LAB MODULE – Torsion of Disk-Shaped Samples – Student Version

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