Plasma lithography for control of cell morphology and proliferation

We have utilized a plasma based patterning technique, that we have developed, to study the effects of micrometer and submicrometer scale surface functionalization on cell proliferation and morphology. We have applied this method to cellular patterning and examined the response of mammalian cells to patterns of hydrophobic and hydrophilic areas created directly on polystyrene substrates. We have observed that the residual plasma pattern can serve as a template for cell attachment and growth on patterns at line widths ~22 mum and larger. At smaller sizes, cells do not align themselves with the pattern, but their growth is affected and is significantly less than on homogeneous hydrophilic polystyrene surfaces. This type of patterning could have several uses including tissue engineering, medical implants, or providing a means for studying the fundamental behavior of cell to surface and other interactions.