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A Microfluidic Approach to Encapsulate Living Cells in Uniform Alginate Hydrogel Microparticles

  1. Carlos J. Martinez1,*,
  2. Jin Woong Kim2,*,
  3. Congwang Ye1,
  4. Idelise Ortiz3,
  5. Amy C. Rowat4,
  6. Manuel Marquez5,
  7. David Weitz6

Article first published online: 7 FEB 2012

DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201100351

Additional Information

How to Cite

Martinez, C. J., Kim, J. W., Ye, C., Ortiz, I., Rowat, A. C., Marquez, M. and Weitz, D. (2012), A Microfluidic Approach to Encapsulate Living Cells in Uniform Alginate Hydrogel Microparticles. Macromol. Biosci.. doi: 10.1002/mabi.201100351

Author Information

  1. 1

    School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, 701 West Stadium Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2045, USA

  2. 2

    Department of Applied Chemistry, Hanyang University, 55 Hanyangdaehak-ro, Sangnok-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do 426-791, Korea

  3. 3

    Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA

  4. 4

    Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA

  5. 5

    Department of Mechanical Engineering, 401 West Main Street, Room E3221, P.O. Box 843015, Richmond, VA 23284-3015, USA

  6. 6

    School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

*School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, 701 West Stadium Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2045, USA.

Publication History

  1. Article first published online: 7 FEB 2012
  2. Manuscript Revised: 18 NOV 2011
  3. Manuscript Received: 6 SEP 2011

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Keywords:

  • alginate hydrogels;
  • cells;
  • double emulsions;
  • encapsulation;
  • microfluidics

Abstract

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A microfluidic technique is described to encapsulate living cells in alginate hydrogel microparticles generated from monodisperse double-emulsion templates. A microcapillary device is used to fabricate double emulsion templates composed of an alginate drop surrounded by a mineral oil shell. Hydrogel formation begins when the alginate drop separates from the mineral oil shell and comes into contact with Ca2+ ions in the continuous phase. Alginate hydrogel microparticles with diameters ranging from 60 to 230 µm are obtained. 65% of the cells encapsulated in the alginate microparticles were viable after one week. The technique provides a useful means to encapsulate the living cells in monodisperse hydrogel microparticles.

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