Collagen series

The bioink with nature inside

Type I collagen is one of the main structural proteins found in extracellular matrix (ECM) and connective tissue. Collagen is found in over 30% of total body protein, making it an excellent biomaterial for tissue engineering and 3D printing applications. Collagen forms fibrous networks in the body, enhancing the structural integrity of the ECM while promoting cell adhesion, growth, biological signaling and tissue morphogenesis.

We developed the Collagen Series using type I collagen (Coll 1) and collagen methacrylate (ColMA) variations designed for applications in 3D cell culture, surface coating for regenerative medicine and many more. CELLINK leverages collagen’s unique native physiological properties in an innovative formula to propel research further. We source collagen from high-quality rat tail tendons to provide pure and sterile Coll 1 and ColMA.

We offer collagen as a reconstituted solution and freeze-dried powder, enabling you to customize your biomaterial formulations and create printable hydrogels, supplemented cell culture coatings and 3D cell culture matrices.

We pay great attention to the rheological properties and crosslinking capability of our collagen-based biomaterials because they are integral to the success of your research. You can use the CELLINK Collagen Series in multiple ways. Coll 1 can be printed as a 3D cell culture model between 15 and 25 degrees, and thermally gelated at 37 degrees Celsius. Rapid gelation occurs within a few minutes with the highest storage modulus increase for the highest concentration of Coll 1. ColMA is a unique variation of type I collagen that has been modified with photoactive methacrylate groups, enabling it to be crosslinked with light at 365- and 405-nm wavelengths.

The product series:

Coll 1

Coll 1 supports cell proliferation on both 2D and 3D levels.
Type I collagen is a well-known coating biomaterial used to enhance cell adhesion and proliferation. After seeding on top of our Coll 1 biomaterial, human chondrocytes from the femoral head demonstrated excellent viability, cell proliferation and stretching. However, embedding the living cells into a soft biomaterial such as collagen is a much more challenging task to accomplish. We observed successful proliferation of human dermal fibroblasts embedded into thermally gelated Coll 1 biomaterial. After the initial drop in cell viability related to the 3D printing stress, the cells show great recovery already at day 7 and very good cell viability at day 14. The chondrocytes are homogeneously distributed inside the 3D-printed droplets, forming an extensive interconnected network.

ColMA

ColMA forms stable scaffolds after both thermal crosslinking and photocrosslinking.
Human chondrocytes derived from the femoral head were post-seeded on top of ColMA constructs crosslinked with two different methods: thermally at 37 degrees Celsius and through methacrylic group photopolymerization using LAP photoinitiator and exposure to 405-nm wavelength light. Both methods were successful — chondrocytes showed excellent cell viability and homogeneous cell distribution, particularly after seven days of cell culturing. There is a rather minor drop in cell viability for photocrosslinked constructs attributed to the effect of near-UV light. Generally, photocrosslinking is the preferred method for forming ColMA constructs with embedded living cells.

Collagen Premium

Type I collagen is one of the main structural proteins found in extracellular matrix (ECM) and connective tissue. Specific peptide sequences within collagen molecules act as binding receptors for cells, which promotes stable cell adhesion, growth, biological signaling and tissue morphogenesis.