Journal: bioRxiv

Article Title: Granular Extracellular Matrix (gECM) Hydrogels Enable Distinct Composition and Mechanics Across Tissue Types for Translation

doi: 10.64898/2026.05.06.723348

Figure Lengend Snippet: (A) Skin gECM hydrogel was injected into a microphysiological Emulate chip, with lateral vacuum chambers to apply stretch. Deformation microscopy was performed on confocal images acquired before and after applied stretch to calculate strain maps. (B) Cartilage (left) and bone (right) gECM hydrogels were printed into a microphysiological osteochondral chip that was molded with PDMS. Scale bar = 10 mm. Confocal imaging of tissue-on-chip interface showing pre-stained cartilage (left, red) and bone (right, blue) gECM. Scale bar = 200 µm. Strain maps calculated by deformation microscopy of the cross-section of composite cartilage+bone gECM construct under compression, Eyy (cartilage red, bone blue). (C) Strain maps calculated by deformation microscopy of the cross-section of cartilage gECM under compression plus shear force (Exy), and compression only (Eyy). (D) Bovine chondrocytes cultured with cartilage gECM in a microphysiological chip, with confocal imaging at Day 1 and 14 of culture (green = calcein, red = ethidium homodimer). Scale bar = 200 µm.

Article Snippet: We assessed viability (Calcein AM, Ethidium Homodimer-1; ThermoFisher Invitrogen) via confocal microscopy (Nikon A1R, 10x objective, NA=0.45) at Day 3 and 14.

Techniques: Injection, Microscopy, Imaging, Staining, Construct, Shear, Cell Culture

Journal: bioRxiv

Article Title: Granular Extracellular Matrix (gECM) Hydrogels Enable Distinct Composition and Mechanics Across Tissue Types for Translation

doi: 10.64898/2026.05.06.723348

Figure Lengend Snippet: (A) Bovine chondrocytes cultured on cartilage and (B) murine dermal fibroblasts cultured in skin gECM hydrogels (green = calcein, red = ethidium homodimer, blue = NucBlue). Scale bars = 200 µm. Quantitative PCR showing gene expression (N = 3), fold change to cells cultured on tissue culture plastic (TCP) for 3 days.

Article Snippet: We assessed viability (Calcein AM, Ethidium Homodimer-1; ThermoFisher Invitrogen) via confocal microscopy (Nikon A1R, 10x objective, NA=0.45) at Day 3 and 14.

Techniques: Cell Culture, Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Gene Expression

Journal: Scientific Reports

Article Title: A perfusable decellularized plant-based air-liquid-interface-on-a-chip for investigating inorganic dust aerosol exposure

doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-33930-7

Figure Lengend Snippet: Diagram of air–liquid-interface platform for dust exposure. ( A ) Stepwise experimental timeline of the decellularized plant-based ALI model and dust exposure. ( B ) 3D design of the platform, which provides an enclosed chamber for accommodating spinach leaves. ( C ) The macroscopic image of the recellularized spinach integrated into the air–liquid-interface platform. Live/Dead fluorescence images (Calcein-AM = green, EthD-1 = red) of recellularized leaves (Left and right panels correspond to images taken from different focal planes representing the apical epithelial surface and the vascular endothelial layer, respectively). ( D ) Quantitative cell viability of BEAS-2B and HUVECs analyzed using ImageJ software (NIH, USA).

Article Snippet: Cell viability within the recellularized spinach scaffolds was evaluated using a Calcein-AM/Ethidium homodimer-1 (EthD-1) Live/Dead Viability/Cytotoxicity Kit (Biotium, USA) following the manufacturer’s protocol.

Techniques: Fluorescence, Software