Overview

• UC Santa Barbara researchers engineered an algae-derived hydrogel as a controllable basement membrane platform for mammary epithelial cell research.
• Using selected peptide motifs, the material matches key functions of Matrigel while providing modular control absent from mouse tumor–derived products.
• By varying crosslinking and polymer chain length, the gel’s stiffness and force-response can be tuned to study mechanosensitive cell behaviors.
• The system supports normal mammary morphogenesis, can be adjusted to elicit invasive phenotypes, and enables cells to assemble their own basement membrane under appropriate cues.
• The work, catalyzed by a 2020 supply shortage, is validated in vitro and will be explored for broader cell types and potential patient-derived tissue applications.