Scientists at the University of Osaka have developed a novel hydrogel that enables the efficient, three-dimensional (3D) culture of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

Hydrogels are soft, water-rich polymeric materials that can swell or shrink in response to environmental stimuli. This ability to change shape makes them valuable in miniaturized devices for flexible ...

This Research Topic focuses on the pressing challenges and open questions in the development and application of hydrogel-based semiconducting devices. As ...

Researchers develop a new origami-inspired folding strategy for hydrogel pores, enabling unprecedented control SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --Hydrogel-based devices—such as hydrogel ...

This study is led by Prof. Hongbo Zeng (Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta) and Prof. Ning Gu (Nanjing Key Laboratory for Cardiovascular Information and Health ...

Soft and flexible, hydrogels have been investigated as potential cartilage replacement materials, but most of them have been too weak to support much weight. In 2020 the Duke team created a hydrogel ...

Hydrogels are made of elastic networks of polymer chains that are permeated with water. They are soft, elastic, and biocompatible. As a result, the squishy materials are already widely used in contact ...

3D bioprinting is gaining popularity as a way of treating disease and injury by producing three-dimensional living tissues and organs. However, to work effectively, the “inks” used for bioprinting ...

However, most current hydrogel pores use circular designs, which limit control over shape change and lead to unpredictable, slow actuation. They often close unevenly and recover poorly, reducing their ...

The proposed strategy utilizes facet-and-hinge architectures to guide the swelling of facets in polygonal pores along predefined directs, enabling precise control over pore closure and restoration.