AVS 50th International Symposium
    Biomaterial Interfaces Wednesday Sessions
       Session BI+SS-WeM

Paper BI+SS-WeM8
Directed Motoneuron Growth on Self-Assembled Monolayer (SAM) Patterned Surfaces

Wednesday, November 5, 2003, 10:40 am, Room 307

Session: Cell Interactions with Patterned Surfaces
Presenter: M.G. Poeta, Clemson University
Authors: M.G. Poeta, Clemson University
M. Das, Clemson University
C.A. Gregory, Clemson University
P. Molnar, Clemson University
D.C. Henry, Clemson University
L.M. Riedel, Clemson University
J.J. Hickman, Clemson University
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We are investigating the directed growth of embryonic rat motoneurons on glass substrates and are determining if they exhibit proper morphological and electrophysiological characteristics in this defined environment. This is the first step in recreating the reflex arc, one of the fundamental controls circuits in the body, with biological components on a MEMS chip. Recreating this system in vitro could have significant implications for improving treatment for people with spinal cord injuries, which affect 10,000 people every year in the United States. Throughout the last century, many methods have been developed to direct the growth of different cell types. These include fibroblasts, glial cells and hippocampal neurons grown on spider webs adhered to coverslips, grooves scratched in polystyrene and palladium deposited on petri dishes. In order to direct the growth of the motoneurons, we are using two recently developed patterning techniques, microcontact printing and laser ablation. Microcontact printing is a patterning method where a polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) stamp is cast from a mold. It is inked in our case with a hydrophilic silane, diethyltriamine trimethoxysilane (DETA), and brought into contact with a substrate. The substrate is then backfilled with a hydrophobic silane, tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydroctyl-1-trichlorosilane (13F). Laser ablation is a patterning method where, again in our system, a substrate is coated with DETA and exposed with an excimer laser fitted with a beam homogenizer through a photomask. The exposed regions are then backfilled with 13F. Embryonic rat motoneurons are plated on these patterned substrates. XPS and contact angle are used to verify the surface modification procedures. We have found that the motoneurons orient themselves along the hydrophilic patterns. We will report on the characterization of these patterns using patch-clamp electrophysiology to measure the electrophysiological characteristics of the cells.