This is a question that University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers have made extraordinary strides in answering granular hydrogels. These materials are made up of closely packed, sub-millimeter gel beads, and the Zack’s group is now learning how they flow. This novel framework was created by a team of chemical and biomolecular engineering professors, Brendan A. Harley, and Simon A. Rogers. It opens the door to really cool biomedical applications like 3D bioprinting and tissue repair.
The study, published in Advanced Materials, offers a fresh perspective on the unique properties of granular hydrogels, which are primarily influenced by individual particle interactions. The interdisciplinary research team, including co-first authors Gunnar B. Thompson and Jiye Lee, are on a quest to enhance the use of these fascinating materials in biomedical applications. They are especially concerned about their function as producers of blood and immune cells.
Understanding Granular Hydrogels
Granular hydrogels have received a growing interest for their promising applications in multiple biomedical fields because of their extraordinary mechanical properties. These materials consist of a web of gel particles. They affect one another’s performance, resulting in intricate flow characteristics that can be tailored to unique application needs.
Brendan A. Harley’s lab goes deep on biomaterials engineering focusing on interactions. More importantly, interaction designers need to understand the interactions so they can design better applications. Simon A. Rogers, who specializes in rheology, underscores that to utilize granular hydrogels effectively, “you need to be able to put them inside of a body.” This realization drives home the importance of knowing how these materials will act when adopted into biological systems.
The new framework the researchers have worked out together with experimentalists not only lays out a foundational understanding of how granular hydrogels can be manipulated. In medicine, by comprehending the underlying mechanics, researchers can better design materials for targeted applications. This understanding translates into better results in all our therapeutic areas.
Implications for Biomedical Applications
The real-world implications of this research reach well beyond professor’s petticoats. Granular hydrogels exhibit exciting potential for medical applications, namely in 3D bioprinting and as inhabitable vascularized tissues. The potential to manipulate the diffusion pattern of these materials presents exciting opportunities within the field of regenerative medicine.
As an example, in the field of 3D bioprinting, highly engineered granular hydrogels might be used as scaffolds in which to grow tissues or organs. With the potential to transform transplant surgeries and accelerate healing, this kind of capability would be a game-changer. The new research demonstrates that granular hydrogels behave as brittle yield stress fluids. They are able to push back against particular stresses up until the point of noticeable distortion. This property is especially necessary in biomedical scenarios where maintaining the mechanical structure is critical.
This study couldn’t come at a better time. It could still have a tremendous effect on the field, especially on the production of essential blood and immune cells. Inspired by nature, researchers are unlocking the potential of granular hydrogels. This strategy might enable breakthroughs in both the barriers to successful cell therapy and tissue engineering.
