A simple lift-off-based patterning method for micro- and nanostructuring of functional substrates for cell culture

The ability to produce cell patterning through precise surface engineering has stimulated the development of cellular bioassays that offer new insights on the mechanisms of cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and molecular signaling pathways. Here we describe a simple micropatterning technique combining supersonic cluster beam deposition of nanostructured titania films on bovine serum albumin functionalized substrates. A standard lift-off process enables us to generate complementary micropatterns of hydrophobic bovine serum albumin (cell-repellent) and hydrophilic nanostructured TiO(x) (cell-adhesive). We demonstrate the selective PC12 cell adhesion and growth on biocompatible nanostructured TiO(x). We also observed that these functional micropatterned substrates promote a considerable enhancement of cell attachment and proliferation.