Patterning Biological Cells Using Microfabrication Technology
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Integrated Micro and Nano Systems
Abstract
The project will take a technology that has been developed under previous EPSRC fuinding and prepare it for patenting and commercialisation.The technique involves simple microfabrication (chip manufacture) technology that is commonplace and inexpensive in the semiconductor cleanroom. Patterns are created on silicon, using standard microfabrication and carefully-chosen materials (polymers). These patterns are, at the time of creation, biologically inert. They can be stored as blanks indefinitely.Subsequently, the blanks are dipped in a protein mixture that activates them - whereupon neural cells grow preferentially on the patterns of polymer, allowing networks to be designed and createwd with considerable accuracy.This project will optimise the microfabrication steps and bioligical dipping process for neurones, explore the ability to pattern other forms of cell such as stem cells and muscles and build a business case for exploiting the technology.Application areas include:-1) Laboratory expermintation using designed patterns of cells2) Drug discovery and assay3) Prosthetics - using patterns to effectively re-wire damaged tissue(1) is an immediate prospect. (2) will be the focus of a market evaluation and business plan during this follow-on project, while (3) is a considerably longer-term prospect.
Publications
Delivopoulos E
(2011)
Controlled adhesion and growth of long term glial and neuronal cultures on Parylene-C.
in PloS one
Delivopoulos E
(2010)
Effects of parylene-C photooxidation on serum-assisted glial and neuronal patterning.
in Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A
Delivopoulos E
(2009)
Guided growth of neurons and glia using microfabricated patterns of parylene-C on a SiO2 background.
in Biomaterials
Hughes MA
(2013)
Modulating patterned adhesion and repulsion of HEK 293 cells on microengineered parylene-C/SiO(2) substrates.
in Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A
Hughes MA
(2014)
Cell patterning on photolithographically defined parylene-C: SiO2 substrates.
in Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE
Hughes MA
(2014)
Patterning human neuronal networks on photolithographically engineered silicon dioxide substrates functionalized with glial analogues.
in Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A
Murray AF
(2021)
Adhesion and Growth of Neuralized Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells on Parylene-C/SiO2 Substrates.
in Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
Unsworth CP
(2011)
Patterning and detailed study of human hNT astrocytes on parylene-C/silicon dioxide substrates to the single cell level.
in Biomaterials
Unsworth CP
(2011)
Isolating single primary rat hippocampal neurons & astrocytes on ultra-thin patterned parylene-C/silicon dioxide substrates.
in Biomaterials
Unsworth CP
(2010)
First human hNT neurons patterned on parylene-C/silicon dioxide substrates: Combining an accessible cell line and robust patterning technology for the study of the pathological adult human brain.
in Journal of neuroscience methods
Description | See "Narrative impact" above. This was a follow-on project and therefore did not aim to make new scientific discoveries. |
Exploitation Route | Via a project to explain the surface chemistry that gives rise to parylene patterning and thus the route to a reliable, high-yield process that could be tuned to different cell types. |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Healthcare Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
Description | The primary finding was that potential industrial users felt they needed the patterning technique to be fully understood scientifically (ie why do cells pattern on parylene?) in order to develop a controllable and high-yield process. As a result, no users took the work forward and the team submitted a proposal to EPSRC to build this understanding. The proposal was not funded and this work is currently stalled. |
First Year Of Impact | 2009 |
Impact Types | Economic |
Description | University of Auckland |
Organisation | University of Auckland |
Country | New Zealand |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Dr. Charles Unsworth was funded to travel and work in Edinburgh and this collaboration has generated a long-term sustainable partnership between the Universities of Edinburgh and Aukland. |
Collaborator Contribution | Dr Unsworth manufactured silicon substrates for patterning in Edinburgh and subsequently collaborated with medical researchers in Auckland to show that human cells can be patterned on these substrates. |
Impact | Many research papers and an EPSRC proposal (unfunded) to better understand the mechanism behind cell patterning by parylene on silicon. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Title | Cell patterning |
Description | |
IP Reference | GB0820572.6 |
Protection | Patent application published |
Year Protection Granted | |
Licensed | No |