FIGURE 1.

Comparison of standard collagen contraction assay with high-throughput ATPS method presented here. (A) Overview of traditional collagen contraction assay in a 24-well plate. After seeding fibroblasts in a collagen matrix, the gels are individually detached from the well and imaged at discrete time intervals. (B) In the ATPS collagen contraction assay, DEX and collagen droplets containing fibroblasts are mixed with PEG and media in 96-well plates. This creates a microgel in the center of the well, thereby eliminating the need for individual gel removal from the wall. The PEG and DEX solutions are then washed out, and then imaged every 2 h with an Incucyte microscope.