Figure 5. Validation of the optimized formulation by assessing contractility and Ca²⁺ transients and by adhesion modulation.

(a) % cluster length was evaluated by utilizing high frame rate DIC. Representative contractility from ECM composites. (b) Fluo-4 AM (Ca²⁺ indicator) intensity (F) was normalized to the baseline fluorescence (F₀). Representative local Ca²⁺ transient from ECM composites. (c) Effect magnitudes of all main effects and interactions for the expression of cTnT (protein) with Col I, FN, and TSP1 (formulations in Table 3).