Advanced Functional Hydrogels and 3D Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications
A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Processing and Engineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 198
Editor
Interests: functional hydrogels; 3D biomaterial scaffolds; tissue engineering; disease modelling; cell–matrix interactions; high throughput and automated platforms; multi omics integration; advanced imaging and AI ready data
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Hydrogels and 3D biomaterial scaffolds have become indispensable tools in contemporary biomedical research, offering tuneable biochemical, mechanical, and structural properties that closely replicate native tissue environments. These functional systems underpin major advances in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and disease modelling by supporting physiologically relevant cell behaviour and enabling precise control of the cellular microenvironment.
This Special Issue, ‘Advanced Functional Hydrogels and 3D Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications’, invites submissions that explore innovative materials design, sustainable or scalable fabrication strategies, and emerging applications across health and disease. We particularly welcome contributions that integrate responsive or smart hydrogel systems, hybrid or composite scaffold architectures, or novel mechanobiological approaches that probe cell–matrix relationships.
Studies employing high‑throughput workflows, microfluidic or automated systems, multi‑omic profiling (including spatial or single‑cell approaches), or advanced imaging that generates AI‑ready datasets are strongly encouraged. Work that bridges fundamental materials research with translational or physiological relevance will be especially valued.
By bringing together multidisciplinary perspectives, this Special Issue aims to showcase cutting‑edge developments that are shaping the next generation of hydrogel and scaffold technologies for advanced biological and biomedical applications.
Dr. Louisa Windus
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- functional hydrogels
- 3D scaffolds
- tissue engineering
- disease modelling
- high throughput screening
- multi omics
- mechanobiology
- advanced imaging
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