Bioactive hydrogels: Lighting the way.
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abstract
Advances in photochemistry have profoundly impacted the way in which biology is studied. Now, a photo activated enzymatic patterning method that offers spatiotemporal control over the presentation of bioactive proteins to direct cells in three-dimensional culture significantly expands the available chemical toolbox. Complementary to this approach, photo cleavage reactions have been used to remove biochemical cues from a cell's microenvironment. The combination of photo addition and photo cleavage reactions for the sequential introduction and removal of biochemical cues using orthogonal visible and ultraviolet light-based chemistries has further expanded the possibilities for dynamic ECM culture systems. For example, spatiotemporally controlled excitation of dendrites in the central nervous system with caged glutamate has helped to understand how variations in synaptic input are processed to produce a postsynaptic signal.
