Self-folding of Multi-layered Hydrogel Designed for Biological Machine

Abstract

The biological machine was designed to self-transform using a multi-layered hydrogel. The biological machine legs consisting of two layers with different swelling ratios were fabricated to have 5.3 mm of radius of curvature by self folding assembly at 37 degrees C. The hydrogels patterned with three different geometries by the micro-contact printing could influence the differentiation process and alignment of C2C12 skeletal myoblasts. The cells on the linear patterns resulted in the 3.6-fold increase of the contractile force with 1.12 +/- 0.30 mu N, as compared to the cells on the circle patterns with 0.31 +/- 0.32 mu N of contractile force. Overall, this new strategy to prepare the biological machine with the multi-layered hydrogel would be actively used in drug delivery, tissue engineering, environmental engineering, and biomimetic engineering, etc.