npj Microgravity (Aug 2024)

Hydrogel mechanical properties in altered gravity

  • Vanja Mišković,
  • Immacolata Greco,
  • Christophe Minetti,
  • Francesca Cialdai,
  • Monica Monici,
  • Arianna Gazzi,
  • Jeremiah Marcellino,
  • Yarjan Abdul Samad,
  • Lucia Gemma Delogu,
  • Andrea C. Ferrari,
  • Carlo Saverio Iorio

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-024-00388-2
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Abstract Exposure to altered gravity influences cellular behaviour in cell cultures. Hydrogels are amongst the most common materials used to produce tissue-engineering scaffolds, and their mechanical properties play a crucial role in cell-matrix interaction. However, little is known about the influence of altered gravity on hydrogel properties. Here we study the mechanical properties of Poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and PEGDA incorporated with graphene oxide (GO) by performing tensile tests in micro and hypergravity during a Parabolic flight campaign, and by comparing them to the same tests performed in Earth gravity. We show that gravity levels do not result in a statistically significant difference in Young’s modulus.