The mucus layer is a hydrogel network that covers mucosal surfaces of the human body. Mucus has important protective properties that are related to its unique rheological properties, which are based on mucins being the main glycoprotein constituents. Mucin macromolecules entangle with one another and form a physical network that is instrumental for many important defense functions. Mucus derived from various human or animal sources is poorly defined and thus not suitable for many application purposes. Herein, a synthetic route is fabricated to afford a library of compositionally defined mucus‐inspired hydrogels (MIHs). MIHs are synthesized by thiol oxidation to render disulfide bonds between the crosslinker ethoxylated trimethylolpropane tri(3‐mercaptopropionate) (THIOCURE ETTMP 1300) and the linear precursors, dithiolated linear polyglycerol (LPG(SH)2) or polyethylene glycol (PEG(SH)2) of different molecular weights. The mixing ratio of linear polymers versus crosslinker and the length of the linear polymer are varied, thus delivering a library of compositionally defined mucin‐inspired constructs. Their viscoelastic properties are determined by frequency sweeps at 25 and 37 °C and compared to the corresponding behavior of native human mucus. Here, MIHs composed of a 10:1 ratio of LPG(SH)2 and ETTMP 1300 are proved to be the best comparable to human airway mucus rheology.

Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1) with a diameter of 155-240 nm uses electrostatic interactions to bind with the heparan sulfate present on the cell surface to initiate infection. In this work, the initial contact using polysulfate-functionalized hydrogels is aimed to deter. The hydrogels provide a large contact surface area for viral interaction and sulfated hydrogels are good mimics for the native heparan sulfate. In this work, hydrogels of different flexibilities are synthesized, determined by rheology. Gels are prepared within an elastic modulus range of 10-1119 Pa with a mesh size of 80-15 nm, respectively. The virus binding studies carried out with the plaque assay show that the most flexible sulfated hydrogel performs the best in binding HSV viruses. These studies prove that polysulfated hydrogels are a viable option as HSV-1 antiviral compounds. Furthermore, such hydrogel networks are also physically similar to naturally occurring mucus gels and therefore may be used as mucus substitutes.

A heterostructure of Ag/ZnO powder was prepared by a reduction of Ag(NH 3 ) 2 + ions in a basic solution or Tollen's reagent. From this method, the existence of a metallic Ag coating on the ZnO surface was confirmed by transmission electron microscope and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the Ag/ZnO powders was investigated by analyzing the degradation of an aqueous methylene blue solution under a blacklight irradiation. Furthermore, the parameters, including Ag content, catalyst loading, initial dye concentration and pH, were also studied. After the methylene blue solution was irradiated for 30 min under a blacklight illumination, total mineralization was not observed as the presence of some carbon compound species was indicated in a mass spectrum. Furthermore, the toxicity of the treated methylene blue solution produced by the Ag/ZnO powders was also investigated by a test for the inhibition of the growth of Chlorella vulgaris.

An in situ streptavidin‐encapsulated hydrogel based on dendritic polyglycerol (dPG) which is functionalized with either an acrylate, allyl or acrylamide group and dithiolated polyethylene glycol (PEG) is constructed via a thiol‐click chemistry approach and is investigated for biosensing applications. The hydrogel platform is screened for the encapsulation and release efficiencies of the model protein streptavidin under varying physicochemical conditions, for example, crosslinking chemistry reactions, the molar ratio between the two gel components, macromonomer concentrations or pH‐values. By that, tailor‐made hydrogels can be developed, which are able to encapsulate or release the model protein for several days based on its modality. Furthermore, the accessible binding site of encapsulated streptavidin or in other words, the biotin‐binding performance is quantified, and the stability of the various hydrogel types is studied by rheology measurements, 1H NMR, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and mass loss experiments.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are established as distinct cancer biomarkers for diagnosis, as preclinical models, and therapeutic targets. Their use as preclinical models is limited owing to low purity after isolation and the lack of effective techniques to create 3D cultures that accurately mimic in vivo conditions. Herein, a two‐component system for detecting, isolating, and expanding CTCs to generate multicellular tumor spheroids that mimic the physiology and microenvironment of the diseased organ is proposed. First, an antifouling biointerface on magnetic beads is fabricated by adding a bioinert polymer layer and conjugation of biospecific ligands to isolate cancer cells, dramatically enhancing the selectivity and purity of the isolated cancer cells. Next, the isolated cells are encapsulated into self‐degradable hydrogels synthesized using a thiol‐click approach. The hydrogels are mechanochemically tuned to enable tumor spheroid growth to a size greater than 300 µm and to further release the grown spheroids while retaining their tumor‐like characteristics. In addition, drug treatment highlights the need for 3D culture environments rather than conventional 2D culture. The designed biomedical matrix shows potential as a universal method to ensure mimicry of in vivo tumor characteristics in individual patients and to improve the predictability of preclinical screening of personalized therapeutics.