Valerie Schneider

Bachelor student

Investigation of the Effect of Different Bloom Values on the Mechanical and Structural Properties of Soft OHA-GEL Hydrogels

 

 Supervisors: Markus Lorke, Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA)-based hydrogels can be applied to design soft hydrogels with neural ECM mimicking properties [1]. By combining OHA with other hydrogel precursors such as Gelatine (GEL), a natural biopolymer derived from collagen, the mechanical properties can be influenced [2]. GEL is characterized by its Bloom value, which directly influences the crosslinking density, mechanical stability, and overall performance of GEL containing hydrogels, making it a crucial factor in biomedical applications [3,4].

This Bachelor thesis examines how GEL Bloom value, with particular emphasis on comparing high with low Bloom value GEL, affects the mechanical, structural and physiochemical properties of soft OHA-GEL hydrogels.

[1] Lorke, M., Kuth, S., Frischknecht, R., & Boccaccini, A. R. (2025). Development of oxidized hyaluronic acid based hydrogels for neuronal tissue engineering: Effects of matrix stiffness on primary neurons. Acta Biomaterialia, 205, 454–466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2025.09.007

[2] Pignatello, R. (Hrsg.). (2011). Biomaterials Applications for Nanomedicine. InTech.

[3] Naranjo-Alcazar, R., Bendix, S., Groth, T., & Gallego Ferrer, G. (2023). Research progress in enzymatically cross-linked hydrogels as injectable systems for bioprinting and tissue engineering. Gels (Basel, Switzerland), 9(3), 230. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9030230

[4] Grijalva Garces, D., Appoldt, L. J., Egner, J., Leister, N., & Hubbuch, J. (2023). The effect of gelatin source on the synthesis of gelatin-methacryloyl and the production of hydrogel microparticles. Gels (Basel, Switzerland), 9(12), 927. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9120927