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Microaligned collagen matrices by hydrodynamic focusing: controlling the pH-induced self-assembly

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2011

Sarah Köester ,
Jennie B Leach ,
Thomas Pfohl  and
Joyce Y Wong
Sarah Köester
Affiliation:
[email protected], Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Dynamics of Complex Fluids, Bunsenstrasse 10, Goettingen, N/A, 37073, Germany
Jennie B Leach
Affiliation:
[email protected], United States
Thomas Pfohl
Affiliation:
[email protected], Germany
Joyce Y Wong
Affiliation:
[email protected], United States
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Abstract

The hierarchical structure of type I collagen fibrils is a key contributor to the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM). It is known that the process of in vitro fibrillogenesis strongly depends on the pH of the collagen solution. To date, there are few methods available for precisely controlling and investigating the dependence of collagen fibril assembly on the local pH. The objective of this work was to create highly defined pH gradients to systematically determine the effects of local pH on microscale collagen fibrillogenesis and alignment. We use a microfluidic mixing device to create a diffusion controlled pH gradient, which in turn initiates the self-assembly and concurrent flow-alignment of soluble collagen. Finite element method simulations of the hydrodynamic and diffusive phenomena are used to calculate the local concentrations of the components involved in the reaction. We develop a model to analytically calculate the local pH in the microfluidic device from these concentrations. A comparison with the experimental results from polarized light microscopy are in good agreement with the simulations.

Keywords

self-assemblybiomimetic (assembly)simulation
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 898: Symposium L – Mechanical Behavior of Biological and Biomimetic Materials , 2005 , 0898-L05-21
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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