UPM Biomedicals produces a highly biocompatible hydrogel, GrowDex®, that makes it possible for researchers worldwide to focus on developing active pharmaceutical ingredients with a focus on the human application while using less animal material. In order for the cells to form tiny organs (organoids and spheroids), they need a fibrous environment that mimics the extracellular matrix of our body. Normally, animal materials are used to create these 3D culture conditions. GrowDex is a ready-to-use hydrogel which is obtained from birch wood and therefore contains no material of animal or human origin.
GrowDex is thermally stable at temperatures from 0 °C to over 100 °C, making it ideal for high-throughput automation and screening. GrowDex is a shear-thinning material, which means that its viscosity changes with the force exerted on the material - it is liquid at high dispensing pressure, but as soon as the pressure is released, the material's solidity and viscosity increase again. As the cellulose nanofibers inside the material do not cross-link, but only intertwine, the material is a genuine hydrogel. This requires special attention with regard to controlling the pressure generated in the dispensing system.