PANELS OF DISCRETE MICROENVIRONMENTS OF CELL CULTURES, METHODS FOR MAKING SUCH PANELS AND USE THEREOF Russian patent published in 2020 - IPC C12N5/00 C12N5/71 

FIELD: biotechnology.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to panels of discrete volumes of microenvironments of cell cultures having different properties, to a method and a kit for making such panels and to a combinatorial method for testing the effect of hydrogel compositions on the nature of cell growth. Method of making panel includes providing more than one molecule of precursor of hydrogel of various types, which are not precursors of hydrogel networks based on proteins or sugars, and which are branched hydrophilic molecules of poly (ethylene glycol) with molecular weight from 10 to 40 kDa, having from 3 to 8 branches, in concentration range between 1 and 10 % (w/v), and optionally at least one cross-linking agent. Hydrogel precursor molecules and optionally at least one cross-linking agent is combined on discrete volumes of substrate on multi-well plate in automatic mode. One or more biologically active molecules are added. Said molecules are attached to at least one hydrogel precursor molecule present or to the formed hydrogel or free diffusion is provided. Cells are added to/into said discrete volumes of the multi-well plate. Hydrogel precursor molecules are cross-linked by a reaction catalyzed enzymatically or by a Michael addition reaction to form a hydrogel matrix.

EFFECT: invention enables to obtain a panel of discrete volumes of microcirculation of cell cultures in automatic mode with controlled polymerisation and fast identification of microenvironments of cell cultures controlling desired models of cell behavior.

9 cl, 7 dwg