Nanofabrication of structures for Cell Engineering

摘要

Cell engineering is concerned with the combination of engineered materials with biological cells to create useful devices. Cells in the body are organised spatially and this organisation is reflected in the shapes of the cells themselves and in how they are positioned relative to their neighbours. A necessary first step in re-growing cells to form a tissue-like implant is to re-create this original pattern in the re-grown cells. A brief account is given of the effects of topographic and chemical patterning on the behaviour of cells. The methods by which such patterning can be transferred into materials suitable for cell and tissue engineering are given. The advantages of using mechanical transfer in one of its many forms for this purpose are stressed.