ABSTRACT
Cell patterning in two dimensions is achieved by seeding a suspension of anchorage-dependent cells onto a substrate containing adhesive extracellular matrix (ECM) “islands” to which the cells preferentially attach. Two methods are commonly used to create the adhesive islands: micro§uidic patterning and microcontact printing (μCP). In micro§uidic patterning, a solution of an ECM protein or other adhesive molecule is forced through a series of very small channels and then allowed to settle, in a pattern, onto the substrate. Microcontact printing uses a stamp, custom fabricated from a soft polymer, to transfer an adhesive protein or intermediary directly onto the substrate (James et al. 1998; Bernard et al. 1998; Singhvi et al. 1994). This process is analogous to using a traditional stamp to transfer a pattern of ink onto a sheet of paper (Figure 10.1). In this experiment, you will use laminin, a major constituent of the basement membrane, as the adhesive “ink.”
