A hydrogel, in time.

This scientific illustration was created to show a degradable hydrogel platform that can be used to form cell spheroids, which can be injected host ischemic tissue where they are then able to spontaneously sprout functioning vessels that can interface with the host vasculature. In this cover art, we have tried to render an artistic interpretation of three key assets of this project: the erosion of the hydrogel, the injectability of spheroids, and blood-vessel formation. Moving from top to bottom, the image advances in time. At the outset, the hydrogel (represented by the black hexagonal pattern) is mostly in-tact but as we advance forward (moving down the image) this hydrogel begins to fall away and lose more of the original structure. In parallel with this, the spheroids in the top layers begin to sprout longer blood vessels: first having none (top), then extending to the edge of their spheroidal bodies (middle) until finally forming a complete interconnected network (bottom).

This commission was submitted to iScience as part of a scientific manuscript package, but was ultimately not selected.