abstract
Soft liquified capsules are explored for various biotechnological applications owing to their versatility and protective nature. However, it is challenging to assess and control their internal environment post-production without compromising their structural integrity. This study explores liquid capsules with shells created from gelatin modified with hydroxypyridinone groups and coordinated with iron ions to enable access to and control over their internal content. Using glycerol as a cryoprotectant prevents ice crystal formation in gelatin-derived hydrogel pores during storage at -20 degrees C. The hygroscopic properties provided by glycerol effectively preserve the structural and self-healing features of the shell over time, supporting large-scale production of off-the-shelf containers. As a proof-of-concept, the ability to manipulate the internal content, and real-time analysis of internal pH, oxygen, and protein levels is shown. The nature of these capsules allows them to closely emulate the elasticity and self-healing of natural cell membranes, enabling in situ modulation of the internal content without compromising the capsule structural integrity. These findings support the development of universal incubator units for in vitro studies, advancing bioreactors, sensors, and frameworks crucial for bioengineering microtissues across diverse applications.
keywords
ENCAPSULATION; MICROCAPSULES; REVEAL
subject category
Chemistry; Science & Technology - Other Topics; Materials Science; Physics
authors
Pinho, AR; Wang, CM; Gomes, MC; Mano, JF
our authors
Projects
CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDB/50011/2020)
CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDP/50011/2020)
Associated Laboratory CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials (LA/P/0006/2020)
Collaboratory for Emerging Technologies, CoLab (EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES)
acknowledgements
This work was developed within the scope of the projects of the CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020 (DOI 10.54499/UIDB/50011/2020), UIDP/50011/2020 (DOI 10.54499/UIDP/50011/2020) & LA/P/0006/2020 (DOI 10.54499/LA/P/0006/2020), financed by national funds through the FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC). The authors acknowledge funding from the European Research Council (ERC) through the project "REBORN" (ERC-2019-ADG-883370), and the project "TETRISSUE" (PTDC/BTM-MAT/3201/2020). This work was also funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Program under grant agreement No. 101079482 ("SUPRALIFE"). Chunming Wang acknowledges the funding support from Fundo para o Desenvolvimento das Ciencias e da Tecnologia (FDCT): 0024/2023/AFJ. Ana R. Pinho acknowledges the FCT for a PhD grant (2021.05888.BD - DOI: 10.54499/2021.05888.BD).