Fig. 1

The elasticity and microstructures of the three types of hydrogels. a AFM measurement of hydrogel stiffness expressed using Young’s modulus. Two concentrations of the three types of hydrogels were used to representatively demonstrate the differences or similarities of the mechanical property between the gels. b–d The microstructures of the polymerized TMG (2 mg/ml), Col I (2 mg/ml), and Matrigel (5 mg/ml) examined using IF staining of Col I (green) and fluorescence microscopy. Scale bars, 10 μm. e–g Close-up views of the microstructures of the polymerized TMG, Col I, and Matrigel thinly coated on slides. Scale bars, 1 μm