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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: Methods. 2015 Aug 8;94:51–64. doi: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2015.08.005

Figure 6. Approach to fabricate hydrogel substrates while considering different methods for functionalization of surfaces with proteins.

Figure 6

Top: the acrylamide-based prepolymer solution is mixed before being added to the top of a coverslip pre-treated to bind polyacrylamide during its polymerization. Another coverslip that will define the topography of the substrate is placed on top of the prepolymer droplet and the hydrogel polymerizes. After hydration, this coverslip is removed. Bottom: different strategies to functionalize these substrates are integrated at different stages of this fabrication method. Strategies grouped at the left involve co-polymerization of acrylamide with species added to the pre-polymer solution that bind acrylamide and proteins. Strategies grouped at the right consist of surface modifications and do not affect the bulk properties of hydrogels. Figure adapted with permission from [65].