Focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy characterization of cell behavior on polymer micro-/nanopatterned substrates: a study of cell-substrate interactions.
Topographic micro and nanostructures can play an interesting role in cell behaviour when cells are cultured on these kinds of patterned substrates. It is especially relevant to investigate the influence of the nanometric dimensions topographic features on cell morphology, proliferation, migration and differentiation. To this end, some of the most recent fabrication technologies, developed for the microelectronics industry, can be used to produce well-defined micro and nanopatterns on biocompatible polymer substrates. In this work, osteoblast-like cells are grown on poly(methyl methacrylate) substrates patterned by nanoimprint lithography techniques. Examination of the cell-substrate interface can reveal important details about the cell morphology and the distribution of the focal contacts on the substrate surface. For this purpose, a combination of focused ion beam milling and scanning electron microscopy techniques has been used to image the cell-substrate interface. This technique, if applied to samples prepared by freeze-drying methods, allows high-resolution imaging of cross-sections through the cell and the substrate, where the interactions between the nanopatterned substrate, the cell and the extracellular matrix, which are normally hidden by the bulk of the cell, can be studied.
Martínez
E
E
Nanotechnology Platform, Barcelona Science Park, Josep Samitier 1-5, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. emartinez@pcb.ub.es
Engel
E
E
López-Iglesias
C
C
Mills
C A
CA
Planell
J A
JA
Samitier
J
J
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005612:Freeze Drying / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods; D049329:Nanostructures; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011108:Polymers