title: First human hNT astrocytes patterned to single cell resolution on parylene-C/silicon dioxide substrates.
abstract: In our previous work we developed a successful protocol to pattern the human hNT neuron (derived from the human teratocarcinoma cell line (hNT)) on parylene-C/SiO(2) substrates. This communication, reports how we have successfully managed to pattern the supportive cell to the neuron, the hNT astrocyte, on such substrates. Here we disseminate the nanofabrication, cell differentiation and cell culturing protocols necessary to successfully pattern the first human hNT astrocytes to single cell resolution on parylene-C/SiO(2) substrates. This is performed for varying parylene strip widths providing excellent contrast to the SiO(2) substrate and elegant single cell isolation at 10 μm strip widths. The breakthrough in patterning human cells on a silicon chip has widespread implications and is valuable as a platform technology as it enables a detailed study of the human brain at the cellular and network level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand. c.unsworth@auckland.ac.nz
authors.forename: Charles P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Unsworth
authors.forename: Euan S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Delivopoulos
authors.forename: Alan F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D018243:Teratocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D014992:Xylenes / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D014992:Xylenes; C011055:parylene; D012822:Silicon Dioxide