Patterned and switchable surfaces for biomaterial applications

Andrew Hook – Patterned and switchable surfaces for biomaterial applicationssurface patterning are varied and include microfluidics, CP, ultramicroelectronics,photolithography, soft lithography, laser ablation and robotic contact and non-contactprinting (see section 1.2) [33-35, 52, 53, 74, 76-78, 80, 86, 88, 95, 165]. An outlineof the various surface patterning techniques, their advantages and disadvantages andtheir application to TCMs is given in Table 1.2. Utilising methods includingmicrofluidics and photolithography, the resolution of cell microarrays has beenreduced to single-cell microarrays and these microarrays have been used forbiological analysis such as monitoring Ca 2+ mobilisation [165, 166].A common strategy for promoting cell attachment is the functionalisation of asurface with proteins such as collagen, fibronectin, vitronectin or the immobilisationof integrin binding peptides such as RGD, a peptide representing a cell adhesionmediating sequence within fibronectin [33, 52-54].Apart from effects based on the surface chemistry, the effects of topographicalcues to initiate and control the attachment, proliferation, orientation and migration ofcells and tissue samples on surfaces have been investigated (see section 1.1.3) [47,56, 57, 62].1-53