Using a simple stamping method, American chemists are creating cell patterns on ordinary microscope coverslips.

Cells grow only on regions of glass patterned with protein-adhesive silanes

Joshua Maurer and Dawn Yanker from Washington University in St Louis, US, have developed a technique that allows them to grow defined cell patterns on glass. 'Surfaces that confine cells and proteins to well-defined patterns are useful for understanding many biological processes and play a critical role in drug discovery studies and biosensor development,' explains Maurer.

Maurer and Yanker produced self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkyl silanes by printing the molecules onto glass using a micropatterned stamp. They then filled the gaps on the glass surface with an ethylene glycol-terminated silane and treated the surface with the protein fibronectin. The protein adsorbs on the SAM pattern, in particular the alkyl silane regions, avoiding the ethylene glycol-terminated silanes. In the final step, the surface was treated with cells. Maurer explains: 'When cells are introduced to the protein-patterned surface they grow within the pattern; their shape and growth direction are manipulated by the different silane layers.'

Previously, patterned alkanethiol SAMs on gold surfaces have been used to produce patterns of proteins and cells, but making these requires specialised equipment. Maurer's method is simpler and uses ordinary glass.

'Our approach is broadly applicable to patterning a wide range of biological molecules,' says Maurer. 'Furthermore, the protein resistance resulting from ethylene glycol-terminated silane monolayers is not specific; rather it can be applied to any protein and pattern combination.'

The researchers' next step will be to optimise the technique: 'We are currently working to reduce the water reactivity of the protein-resistant SAMs,' says Maurer.

Michael Spencelayh