Shape-controlled fabrication of cell-laden calcium alginate-PLL hydrogel microcapsules by electrodeposition on microelectrode

In this study, we propose an electrodeposition method of fabricating shape-controlled calcium alginate-poly-L-lysine hydrogel microcapsules. The micro-patterned electrodes, which are produced by coating a patterned photoresist layer onto fluorine-doped tin oxide glass slide based on photolithography technique, are used for making different shapes of microcapsules. By the electrolysis of water in alginate gelation on micro-patterned anode electrode, the 2D alginate hydrogel structures embedded with yeast cells are formed on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass slide. Then, the 2D structures would be detached from the microelectrode surface and treated with given reagent to be transformed into 3D microcapsules while maintaining the ring and hexagon shapes. Finally, the yeast cells within the microcapsules are further promoted into compact tissues by cultivation. The experimental results indicate the method can successfully fabricate tissues which can maintain certain cells bioactivity after 24 h cultivation. The recommended method can lead to fabricating cell-laden scaffold for tissue engineering, biological studies and drug discovery with higher accuracy and efficiency.