Fig. 2.

Fabrication and characterization of bone constructs. (A) Scanning electron micrograph of lyophilized microgels showing smooth surface morphology. Confocal stacks of preosteoblasts on microgel surface (B ) 1 hour after seeding and (C) 24 hours after seeding. The insets show electron micrographs of the corresponding samples. (D) Elastic modulus of cross‐linked gelatin microgels compared with uncross‐linked gelatin. n = 7 for all groups. (E) Heat map showing the relative expression of osteogenic genes over time by osteoprogenitor cells seeded on microgels. All gene expressions were normalized to a no‐treatment control at day 1 and housekeeping gene Gapdh expression. n = 3 for all groups.