Primary Investigation Of Cell Micropatterning On Simple Microfabricated Substrates

Cell shape was found to govern multiple cellular behaviors, such as growth, apoptosis and differentiation. Local geometric control of cell growth and viability may therefore represent a fundamental mechanism for developmental regulation within the tissue microenvironment. Precise control of the architecture of cells in culture and in vivo via precise engineering of the material surface properties is described as cell patterning. Cell patterning could serve as model systems for exploration of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and enable us to investigate mechanical regulation of cell function. At the same time, cell patterning techniques have widely used in the fields of tissue engineering and wound healing to single-cell assays and biosensors for toxic compounds.This project developed two new methods for cell patterning. One is the improved technique of patterned SAMs (self-assembled monolayers) of alkanethiols on gold by CP (microcontact printing) method, the other is PDMS-patterned surface method.The SAMs-patterned surfaces were easily formed by the serial adsorption of OH-terminated alkanethiols which promote attachment of cells, and subsequent CH3-terminated alkanethiols which prevent attachment of cells on gold via uCP. Therefore, cells selectively attached on SAMs of OH-terminated alkanethiols on gold and cell spread was controlled on patterned surfaces.PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) is hydrophobic material that can prevent cell attachment within short duration. PDMS-patterned surface is indirectly fabricated by photoresist-patterned surface via conventional lithography process. Cells selectively attached on glass areas without PDMS layer.These two methods for cell patterning can control both the areas of cell spread and cell shape. They can provide basic technical support for study on the effect of cell shape to cell growth and viability and for the fields of cell engineering involved with cellular location.