New Hydrogel Micromachines May Transform How We Study Living Tissues

Scientists have engineered a lab-on-a-chip system capable of applying precisely controlled mechanical forces to biological materials that mimic the extracellular matrix. Inside the body, cells are surrounded by intricate three-dimensional scaffolds called the extracellular matrix. The physical interactions between cells and this surrounding structure are essential for many biological functions. Researchers at the Max Planck [...]