Investigation Of Cell-material Interaction Using Topographical Patterns And Cell Imprinting Techniques

Knowledge of cell-material interaction is crucial for fundamental biology and tissue engineering, as well as design and fabrication of advanced biomedical devices. This thesis work has been developed based on both micro-and nano-fabrication tools and high resolution cell imprinting and reversed cell imprinting techniques, which allowed us to obtain more clear insights on cell elongation, alignment, spreading and local membrane deformation on patterned substrates. The cell culture behaviors on the surfaces of micro and nano-holes, grooves, and hybrid features are studied, showing strong pattern geometry and surface dependences. In general, cellular membranes are locally deformed due to the presence of micro holes or grooves, which facilitates the cell attachment and adhesion. Moreover, cancerous cells explore more aggressively on the topographic patterns than the normal ones. Finally, our investigations are extended with more complex pattern geometries such as crossing microgrooves with different periods and etching depths.