2026-10-14T05:50:38Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33997491 2026-09-25T16:30:03Z category_4 category_146 category_915 category_13 category_16 category_21 category_24 category_873 category_39 portal_63 item_type_2 month_year_09_2026

Granular Hydrogel Composites as Matrices for Engineered Living Materials Samson Oluwagbenga Adelani (25110966) Morgan B. Riffe (25110969) Jason A. Burdick (358493) R. Konane Bay (5172449) Biochemistry Space Science Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified Genetics Physiology Biotechnology Evolutionary Biology Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified Ecology larger bacterial colonies engineered living materials granular hydrogel composites hydrogel particles sustained release specified geometries roughened morphologies microcolony morphology mechanical properties matrix composition linkable polymer light exposure incubation conditions immobilize cells create dynamic composite results coli ), also showed adaptive systems 3d printed The design of engineered living materials (ELMs) that integrate active cells offers opportunities to create dynamic, adaptive systems. However, current methods often use bulk hydrogels that can immobilize cells and limit their growth and migration, which affects their overall functionality for use as an ELM. Here, we developed a granular hydrogel composite composed of hydrogel particles (i.e., microgels), Escherichia coli (E. coli), and a cross-linkable polymer that can be crosslinked with light exposure when desired. We investigated the influence of matrix composition and incubation conditions on microcolony morphology and mechanical properties and observed that the addition of microgels to the composite results in larger bacterial colonies with roughened morphologies and that the granular hydrogel composite compressive modulus is dependent on the matrix composition and incubation conditions. To further demonstrate the potential of this system, we also showed that the granular hydrogel composites can be 3D printed into specified geometries, that the composites can be used for sustained release of bacteria, and that the un-crosslinked matrix supports chemotactic migration, producing cell density gradients that can be fixed in place with crosslinking. Overall, the granular hydrogel composites provide an approach for the fabrication of ELMs. 2026-09-25T00:00:00Z Dataset Media 10.1021/acsapm.6c03807.s002 https://figshare.com/articles/media/Granular_Hydrogel_Composites_as_Matrices_for_Engineered_Living_Materials/33997491 CC BY-NC 4.0