Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: Nanocellulose decorated with proteins is suitable for 3D cell culturing

Wood-derived cellulose nanofibers form a hydrogel in water, referred to as nanocellulose, which is a highly promising material for various biological applications. However, nanocellulose is rather simple in terms of chemical composition compared to the natural environment of cells in living tissue. To enable the tailoring of nanocellulose-based hydrogels, researchers from Tampere University in Finland, in collaboration with researchers from UPM Biomedicals, developed avidin-conjugated nanocellulose. Such material enables the attachment of biotinylated molecules on avidin-conjugated nanocellulose fibers.