Gels

Control the 3D structure and mechanics of your cells

Cells are cultured in a soft 3D environment, either flat or microstructured, to mimic in vivo conditions.

Stiffness of the substrate can be chosen from very soft (1 kPa) to very hard (200 kPa)

Wide range of substrates topography available (flat, round wells, square wells, grooves, etc.)

The gel based substrates are ready to be used in your cell culture experiments

Easy and straightforward to use, since cells are seeded directly on the top of the features (convenient to confine non migrating cells)

Pre-coated with ECM matrix (e.g. fibronectin)

Adaptable to any cell culture substrate (coverslips, Petri dishes, multiwell plates)

The optically transparency of the gels makes these substrates compatible with high-resolution optical microscopy systems

Cell differentiation, Cell mechanics, Cell contractility, Cell migration, Tissue geometry mimicry, 3D cell shape control, etc.

HeLa cells on 4Dcell’s microstructured gel

Explore examples of applications

Cardiac spheroids as promising in vitro models to study the human heart microenvironment
Polonchuk, L., et al. Scientific reports, 2017 7(1), 7005
Current and emerging modalities for detection of cardiotoxicity in cardio-oncology
Khouri, M. G., et al. Future cardiology, 2015 11(4), 471-484
Bioinspired living structural color hydrogels
Fu, F., et al. Science Robotics, 2018 3(16), eaar8580
Preparation of hydrogel substrates with tunable mechanical properties
Tse, J. R., & Engler, A. J. Current protocols in cell biology, 2010 47(1) 10-16
Differentiation of liver progenitor cell line to functional organotypic cultures in 3D nanofibrillar cellulose and hyaluronan-gelatin hydrogels
Malinen, M. M., et al. Biomaterials, 2014 35(19), 5110-5121.