Unrivalled performances

  • Control over the shape, height and stiffness of photosensitive hydrogels
  • Polymerization of hydrogels with already embedded cells
  • Cell alignment with preexisting topographies

Control over the shape, height and stiffness

PRIMO enables the photopolymerization of biological UV-sensitive hydrogels into chosen features at resolutions allowing reproducible 3D cell culture models growth.  Our technology provides a wide range of possible heights thanks to the tunable UV dose and a great flexibility in the pattern designs.

In this example, hydrogel structuration was used to predefine geometrically control 3D hydrogel structures to guide biliary epithelial cells’ organization. These features serve as reproducible models of intrahepatic bile tube organogenesis.

Fabrication of BSPPs. (A) The scheme of DLP stereolithography. (B) Various digital patterns for BSPPs: a tree with 45◦ branching (T45), and lines of 100 μm (L100) and 50 μm (L50) width. (C, D) Cholangiocytes encapsulated into a correspondingly shaped photopolymerized hydrogel structures just after fabrication (C) and 2 days after the fabrication (D). Double-line scale bars are 1 mm and single line scale bars are 50 μm. Elsa Mazari-Arrighi et al., Biomaterials, 2021.

Polymerization of hydrogels with already embedded cells

PRIMO also allows creating hydrogel features from a  hydrogel mix that  has already integrated cells.

Here thanks to the optimization of the hydrogel composition and the initial shape of polymerization, the cholangiocyte cells self-organized into a lumen with the same characteristics and size as the initial geometry.

Functional characterization of BSPPs with a FDA assay. 7-day-old BSPPs were incubated with FDA and imaged with fluorescence microscope to evaluate the transport of fluorescein inside the lumen. 

Confocal imaging of BSPPs after 7 days of culture in media supplemented with Matrigel for 5 days. NRC form single-layer tubular structures from a tree-like branching structure.

Elsa Mazari-Arrighi et al., Biomaterials, 2021.

Cell alignment with preexisting topographies

With PRIMO it is possible to precisely micropattern cells on hydrogel topographies. This can be very useful in differentiation and morphogenesis studies.

Down, they seeded myoblasts on circular fibronectin rings enclosing non-adhesive micro-pillars to study the stresses generated by the cell’s mounds. Cell compression around the pillars was measured to further access stresses in tissue morphogenesis

Soft pillars in compressive cellular mounds, P.Guillamat et al., Nature Materials, 2022.

Do you have a question about your project of experiment with PRIMO?

Our research and application development team can help you set up or optimize your experimental protocols!

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