Patterned and switchable surfaces for biomaterial applications

Andrew Hook – Patterned and switchable surfaces for biomaterial applicationshas undergone post-transcriptional processing including gene shuffling and intronexcision, is spotted onto the surface. cDNA libraries are usually constructed toinclude every gene within a genome and the genes are often inserted into plasmidDNA form. Once spotted and immobilised by a biotin-avidin interaction, use of cellfreein vitro transcription and translation machinery produces the encoded proteins insitu at addressed location. Addition of C-terminal glutathione S-transferase tag andsurface-tethered glutathione S-transferase antibody enabled the immobilisation of theproteins in situ. Protein arrays produced in this fashion were used to perform typicalprotein microarray analysis, including protein recognition with antibodies andprotein-protein interactions where the probe protein was also translated in vitro, butwithout a tag to prevent immobilisation [134].Protein microarrays have previously been reviewed in depth and furtherinformation can be found in the following reviews [97-99, 135-142].1.4.3. Polymer microarraysPolymer microarrays are a recently developed microarray format that primarilyallows for the screening of cell-material interactions and are a key enabling devicefor the development of new materials for specific biomaterial applications. Typicallyan array of polymer materials is formed on a low-fouling coating and subsequentlyexposed to cell culture conditions [143, 144]. Polymer spots inducing desirablebehaviour to attached cells can be readily identified.Anderson et al., [145] developed a method for the in situ polymerisation ofpolymer materials in an array format. Various combinations of acrylate monomerswere deposited with a radical initiator in an array format on a low-foulingpoly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) coating. Upon UV irradiation rigid polymer spots1-45