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. 2021 Feb 2;12:753. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21029-2

Fig. 2. Support hydrogel rheological properties and 3D bioprinting precision.

Fig. 2

a (i) Shear-yielding in guest-host support hydrogels with increasing strain (0.1–500%, 10 Hz) at varied macromer concentrations (3, 5, 7 wt%) (storage modulus G′, closed circles; loss modulus G″, open circles). (ii) Storage modulus at low strain (0.5%) at varied macromer concentrations (n = 4 hydrogel samples, mean ± s.d, one-way ANOVA, 3 vs. 5 wt% p = 1.0 × 10−5, 5 vs. 7 wt% p = 1.0 × 10−6, 3 vs. 7 wt% p = 5.0 × 10−9). (iii) Yield point (strain at G′/G″ crossover) at varied macromer concentrations (n = 4 hydrogel samples, mean ± s.d, one-way ANOVA, 3 vs. 7 wt% p = 1.0 × 10−4, 5 vs. 7 wt% p = 4.6 × 10−4). b (i) Bioprinting precision in the XY plane (XY drift %) for 200 and 400 µm diameter spheroids (n = 8, 8, 7, 7, 6, 7 biologically independent samples (from left to right), mean ± s.d, one-way ANOVA). XY drift % = post-printing spheroid drift/spheroid diameter (see Supplementary Fig. 4a i for schematic of measurement). (ii) Bioprinting precision in the Z plane (Z drift %) for 200 and 400 µm diameter spheroids (n = 9, 8, 9, 9, 7, 7 biologically independent samples (from left to right), mean ± s.d, one-way ANOVA). Z drift % = post-printing spheroid drift/spheroid diameter (see Supplementary Fig. 4a ii for schematic of measurement). c 3D bioprinted MSC spheroids within a support hydrogel (3 wt% macromer concentration) into either (i) a multi-layer cone shaped geometry (FITC-labeled spheroids) or (ii) layered rings of distinct MSC spheroid populations (FITC- or rhodamine-labeled) within the support hydrogel. All scalebars 250 µm. All experiments are from a single MSC donor. (n.s. not significant, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001).