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Mechanical Investigations on Agar Gels Using Atomic Force Microscopy: Effect of Deuteration

This study investigates the effect of deuteration on gel structure and stiffness. In tissue engineering, gels such as agar are commonly used as the scaffold material to support the cells. The gel has mechanical, structural, biological and chemical roles to fulfil in this application and the performance of candidate materials is a compromise between these roles. This study introduces a novel mechanism for controlling gel structure and stiffness that interacts with gelling agent composition and concentration, but is an independent parameter. This mechanism offers a new approach to tissue engineering scaffold optimisation, with advantages for soft tissue applications.