Electrochemically engineered surface of hydrogels, particularly peg hydrogels, for enhanced cellular penetration

A method for embedding cells into a polymer structure, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a polymer structure formed by at least one polymer in a container having a top opening, wherein said polymer structure comprises a volume delimited by the container and a free top surface extending along the entire top opening of the container, wherein said polymer comprises a plurality of polymer chains connected by linkings formed in the container, wherein the polymer structure is characterized by a linking density, wherein said linking density increases monotonously from the top surface into the volume of the polymer structure, wherein the linking density is minimal at the top surface and reaches a maximum in the volume at a distance from the top surface ranging between 1 μm and 1000 μm, thereby forming a linking density gradient, and
• seeding cells or cell aggregates comprising said cells on said top surface of said polymer structure residing in the container such that the cells rest on the top surface after having been seeded with each cell being arranged above the top surface in a vertical direction and such that the cells migrate from the top surface into the volume of the polymer structure along said linking density gradient to become embedded within the volume.