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Abstract Mimicking microvascular tissue microenvironment in vitro calls for a cytocompatible technique of manufacturing biocompatible hollow microfibers suitable for cell‐encapsulation/seeding in and around them. The techniques reported to date either have a limit on the microfiber dimensions or undergo a complex manufacturing process. Here, a microfluidic‐based method for cell seeding inside alginate hollow microfibers is designed whereby mouse astrocytes (C8‐D1A) are passively seeded on the inner surface of these hollow microfibers. Collagen I and poly‐d‐lysine, as cell attachment additives, are tested to assess cell adhesion and viability; the results are compared with nonadditive‐based hollow microfibers (BARE). The BARE furnishes better cell attachment and higher cell viability immediately after manufacturing, and an increasing trend in the cell viability is observed between Day 0 and Day 2. Swelling analysis using percentage initial weight and width is performed on BARE microfibers furnishing a maximum of 124.1% and 106.1%, respectively. Degradation analysis using weight observed a 62% loss after 3 days, with 46% occurring in the first 12 h. In the frequency sweep test performed, the storage modulus (G′) remains comparatively higher than the loss modulus (G″) in the frequency range 0–20 Hz, indicating high elastic behavior of the hollow microfibers. 

Abstract Engineering conductive 3D cell scaffoldings offer advantages toward the creation of physiologically relevant platforms with integrated real‐time sensing capabilities. Dopaminergic neural cells are encapsulated into graphene‐laden alginate microfibers using a microfluidic approach, which is unmatched for creating highly‐tunable microfibers. Incorporating graphene increases the conductivity of the alginate microfibers by 148%, creating a similar conductivity to native brain tissue. The cell encapsulation procedure has an efficiency of 50%, and of those cells, ≈30% remain for the entire 6‐day observation period. To understand how the microfluidic encapsulation affects cell genetics, tyrosine hydroxylase, tubulin beta 3 class 3, interleukin 1 beta, and tumor necrosis factor alfa are analyzed primarily with real‐time reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction and secondarily with enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, immediately after manufacturing, after encapsulation in polymer matrix for 6 days, and after encapsulation in the graphene‐polymer composite for 6 days. Preliminary data shows that the manufacturing process and combination with alginate matrix affect the expression of the studied genes immediately after manufacturing. In addition, the introduction of graphene further changes gene expressions. Long‐term encapsulation of neural cells in alginate and 6‐day exposure to graphene also leads to changes in gene expressions.