Spheroids and organoids microwells

Unrivalled performances

• Rapid and reproducible control over the formation of complex hydrogel structures thanks to the tunable UV dose
• Design of the shape and size of 3D cell aggregates for homogenous and reproducible spheroid formation
• Defined organization of your experiments in space for an easier subsequent imaging and data analysis

Rapid and reproducible control over the formation of complex hydrogel structures

Our PRIMO projection device provides an easy workflow and a great flexibility in your pattern design (curves, wells) to ensure a rapid and reproducible control over the height & size of non-adhesive materials. Cells are then seeded and aggregated in chosen shapes/sizes of polymerized hydrogels. Thus, it ensures a specially organized and homogenous spheroids formation.

Thanks to our new hydrogel photoenhancer, polymerization is performed while controlling the height of the structures thanks to the grey level of the image. Then, cells are seeded on the hydrogel structures and aggregates into spheroids.

Homogeneous spheroid formation in hydrogel microwells photopolymerized using PRIMO.

Spheroids of HEK cells in hydrogel microwells photopolymerized with PRIMO. Hydrogel microwells size: ø=100 µm, H=175 µm. Courtesy of A. Pasturel and V. Studer (IINS, CNRS).

Spheroids of HEK cells in hydrogel microwells photopolymerized with PRIMO. Hydrogel microwells size: Ø=200 µm, H=175 µm. Courtesy of A. Pasturel and V. Studer (IINS, CNRS).

Design of the shape and size of 3D cell aggregates for homogenous and reproducible spheroid formation

Since it only requires to load a new image into LEONARDO (PRIMO’s dedicated software) to get a new pattern, it is then possible to make hydrogel microwells of different forms and to control the shapes and size of the 3D cell aggregates. This allows the generation of uniform and reproducible spheroids which could enable the creation of closer to in vivo disease models. PRIMO also allows the creation of multiple spheroids in separate wells to improve the robustness of assays.

Down below, hydrogels microwells separated by small channels have been designed to precisely control the growth of axonal bundles between two neurospheres to study neuronal communication.

In the following example, arrays of hydrogel microwells were structured to reproducibly grow spheroids.

Defined organization of experiments in space for an easier subsequent imaging and data analysis

Spheroid evolution can be hard to image because of their difficult handling. The PRIMO technology makes it possible to organize them in space to easily monitor their behavior or their response to a drug.