Controllable generation and encapsulation of alginate fibers using droplet-based microfluidics

Abstract

Herein we demonstrate the segmentation of alginate solution streams to generate alginate fibers of precisely controllable lengths between 200 and 1000 μm. Moreover, we demonstrate the subsequent encapsulation of the formed fibers within pL-volume microdroplets, produced within the same microfluidic device, in a direct manner. Finally, we show immediate and complete on-chip gelation of alginate fibers in a rapid and reproducible fashion.