AVS 51st International Symposium
    Biomaterial Interfaces Friday Sessions
       Session BI-FrM

Paper BI-FrM3
Using Enzymes to Switch Surface Properties

Friday, November 19, 2004, 9:00 am, Room 210D

Session: "Active" - Dynamic Biointerfaces
Presenter: R.V. Ulijn, University of Manchester, UK
Authors: R.V. Ulijn, University of Manchester, UK
M.R. Alexander, University of Nottingham, UK
F.J.M. Rutten, University of Nottingham, UK
J.E. Gough, University of Manchester, UK
F. Carabine, University of Manchester, UK
J.L. Rutherford, University of Manchester, UK
Correspondent: Click to Email
We study synthetic surfaces that change their properties upon biochemical stimuli (i.e. an enzymatic reactions). Surfaces that can be tuned (switched) to either bind or resist (biological) molecules or cells are desirable for a number of applications in the biomedical sciences. Enzymes are ideal tools for such surface engineering because they are highly selective and truly compatible with biology. We demonstrated that a peptide-hydrolyzing enzyme (chymotrypsin) could be employed to significantly alter the wettability of modified glass surfaces by hydrolysis of surface bound di-peptides. Here, we describe the use of XPS and ToF-SIMS analysis to characterise the changes in surface chemistry achieved using this approach. The methodology was applied in switching the attachment of cells to surfaces. A number of surfaces have been identified that are â?~stickyâ?T (promoting cell adhesion) or â?~non-stickyâ?T to certain cells. By using our biochemically responsive surfaces we demonstrate for the first time the possibility of switching between these two surface properties and therefore to switch cell adhesion in real time.