Dynamic Biomaterials: Cyclic Stiffness Modulation of Cell-Laden Protein–Polymer Hydrogels in Response to User-Specified Stimuli Including Light (Adv. Biosys. 12/2018)
Graphical Abstract
In article number 1800240, Cole A. DeForest and co-workers demonstrate that hydrogel biomaterials crosslinked with stimuli-responsive fusion proteins can undergo fully reversible stiffening upon exposure to user-specified environmental cues. Gels built upon optogenetic proteins LOV2 and Jα soften near-instantaneously under blue light, enabling spatiotemporal control of hydrogel compliance in the presence of living cells.