Micro- and nanostructured devices for cell studies
Abstract
Cell culture is a fundamental and valuable tool for modern biomedical research.
The purpose of this work has been to expand the possibilities and methods of cell
culture through engineering of the cell culture substrate. A range of micro- and
nanofabrication tools were used to structure new material systems and combinations
that could be applied as cell interfaces.
Several different material systems and applications were explored. Soft lithography
was used to produce patterns of cell-adherent polydopamine on cell-repellent
poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels as an effective and stable cell patterning and patterned
co-culture platform. Microscopic wells and a reference grid were thermomoulded
into aclar polymer films and used as substrate enabling efficient correlative
3D optical and electron imaging of the same cells. Surfaces with high
aspect ratio CuO nanowires were controllably produced and explored as a surfacebased
delivery platform for genetic material to cultured cells. Particular emphasis
was put on better understanding the cell-nanowire interface, with the important
result that membrane engulfment of the nanowires likely inhibits efficient gene
transfer. The idea of better understanding the interface between cells and surface
nanostructures was further pursued in the development of a tunable, high aspect
ratio polymer nanostructure platform. This platform enabled high resolution optical
imaging of cell interactions with the polymer nanostructures. Details of cell
morphology, membrane conformations and cytoskeletal organization in response
to nanopillars and nanolines was explored. Further, this platform was applied
to study the dynamics of migrating cells on polymer nanopillar arrays, showing
strong interactions that alter migration mechanisms and speed.
In summary, this work demonstrates how the bio-focused design of micro- and
nanostructured platforms can pave the way to novel, functional devices and surfaces.
In turn such devices contribute to furthering the use of advanced cell culture
systems for modern biomedical research.
Has parts
Paper 1: Beckwith, Kai Muller; Sikorski, Pawel. Patterned cell arrays and patterned co-cultures on polydopamine-modified poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels. Biofabrication 2013 ;Volum 5.(4) http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1088/1758-5082/5/4/045009 © 2013 IOP Publishing LtdPaper 2: Beckwith, M.S., Beckwith, K.S., Sikorski, P., Flo, T.H. and Halaas, Ø. (2015). Seeing a mycobacterium-infection in nanoscale 3D: Correlative imaging by light microscopy and FIB/SEM tomography.
Paper 3: Mumm, Florian; Beckwith, Kai Muller; Bonde, S; Martinez, KL; Sikorski, Pawel. A Transparent Nanowire-Based Cell Impalement Device Suitable for Detailed Cell-Nanowire Interaction Studies. Small 2013 ;Volum 9.(2) s. 263-272 http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1002/smll.201201314 © 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Paper 4: Beckwith, Kai Sandvold; Cooil, Simon Phillip; Wells, Justin; Sikorski, Pawel. Tunable high aspect ratio polymer nanostructures for cell interfaces. Nanoscale 2015 ;Volum 7.(18) s. 8438-8450 http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1039/c5nr00674k This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015
Paper 5: Beckwith, K. S., Schanke, R. and Sikorski, P.; Influence of nanopillar arrays on fibroblast motility, adhesion and migration mechanisms. Is not included due to copyright