Engineered living materials (ELMs) offer promising advancements in sustainability and functionality, particularly in biohybrid actuating systems, but face challenges in long-term adaptability and the integration of diverse cellular components. To advance biohybrid technology, it is crucial to create a versatile, programmable cellular unit capable of differentiating into various cell types, thereby forming distinct engineered components such as bone-like structures for support and muscle-like structures for actuation. Our research focuses on the development of capsules with adjustable release profiles for differentiation agents as bone morphogenetic proteins for osteogenic differentiation. They are constructed directly from extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, which facilitates cell adhesion and interaction with the capsules in comparison to synthetic polymers. The combination of mechanoresponsive behavior and biochemical signaling emerges from the interaction between cells and the capsule surface, as well as the specific exposure to matrix proteins and growth factors.

We are developing a novel high-throughput droplet-based microfluidic technology to generate hollow microcapsules consisting solely of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, known as ECM-based ProCaps. Our approach is based on the fabrication of ECM capsules as shown by S. Pashapour et al. We then tuned the size of the capsules in a new multi-V-shaped droplet splitting unit, enabling the creation of a high number of ProCaps with precisely controlled sizes ranging from 1 to 50 μm. This design offers advantages over conventional flow-focusing junction devices, requiring less sophisticated lithography procedures and simpler channel architectures.