PubMed · 10395390
Biological surface engineering: a simple system for cell pattern formation.
Abstract
Biological surface engineering using synthetic biological materials has a great potential for advances in our understanding of complex biological phenomena. We developed a simple system to engineer biologically relevant surfaces using a combination of self-assembling oligopeptide monolayers and microcontact printing (muCP). We designed and synthesized two oligopeptides containing a cell adhesion motif (RADS)n (n = 2 and 3) at the N-terminus, followed by an oligo(alanine) linker and a cysteine residue at the C-terminus. The thiol group of cysteine allows the oligopeptides to attach covalently onto a gold-coated surface to form monolayers. We then microfabricated a variety of surface patterns using the cell adhesion peptides in combination with hexa-ethylene glycol thiolate which resist non-specific adsorption of proteins and cells. The resulting patterns consist of areas either supporting or inhibiting cell adhesion, thus they are capable of aligning cells in a well-defined manner, leading to specific cell array and pattern formations.
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S Zhang, L Yan, M Altman, M Lässle, H Nugent, F Frankel, D A Lauffenburger, G M Whitesides, A Rich. 1999. Biological surface engineering: a simple system for cell pattern formation.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0142-9612(99)00014-9
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