title: Infrared light induced patterning of proteins on ppNIPAM thermoresponsive thin films: a "protein laser printer".
abstract: Protein micropatterns have applications in fundamental life sciences and clinical medicine. In this work, we present a new technique to create 2-D protein micropatterns by local activation of a thin film of thermoresponsive plasma-deposited poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (ppNIPAM) using a computer-controlled infrared laser beam. While the whole substrate is exposed to the protein solution, protein deposition happens only at laser-activated locations. A few seconds of laser exposure is all that is required to form a pattern with resolution in the single micrometre range. Successful ligand binding after protein deposition indicates that protein function remains intact after laser-induced adsorption onto ppNIPAM. This rapid, simple technique advances currently available strategies for protein patterning by its potential to pattern proteins in an enclosed environment or onto a 3-D scaffold.
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Engineering, Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA. xuc207@lehigh.edu
authors.forename: Xuanhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yegan Erdem
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Buddy D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Ratner
authors.forename: Karl F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Böhringer
mesh_terms: D000178:Acrylamides / Q000737:chemistry*; D000327:Adsorption; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007834:Lasers; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011327:Printing; D040081:Protein Array Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000178:Acrylamides; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011506:Proteins; C067295:N-isopropylacrylamide