Structured materials for the study of biomolecular and cell-substrate interactions

微米和纳米级表面性质（例如，拓扑学、生物化学功能）在体内生物分子和细胞相互作用中起关键作用。在生物小生境中遇到的生物化学线索的地形特征和空间分布的组合驱动细胞粘附、增殖、表达某些表型并分化成特定的细胞谱系。为了在体外研究相关的生物相互作用，需要通过形貌（表面结构的大小和周期性）和生物材料的空间分布来创建模拟自然微环境的人工微环境的方法。在过去的十年中，已经开发了微制造方法来创建通过生物材料的形貌或图案传达生物功能的结构化材料。尽管这些方法取得了成功，但存在关键的限制，这阻止了它们用于快速产生具有可调特征的结构化表面和形成不能耐受干燥的生物材料的图案（例如，细胞和脂质）。

Micro- and nanoscale surface properties (e.g., topography, biochemical function) play a critical role in biomolecular and cellular interactions in vivo. The combination of topographical features and spatial distribution of biochemical cues encountered in biological niches drive cells to adhere, proliferate, express certain phenotypes, and differentiate into specific cell lineages. To study relevant biological interactions in vitro, methods are needed to create artificial microenvironments that mimic natural ones through topography (size and periodicity of surface structures) and the spatial distribution of biomaterials. Over the past decade, microfabrication approaches have been developed to create structured materials that convey biological function through topography or patterns of biomaterials. Despite the success of these approaches, key limitations exist that prevent their use in the rapid creation of structured surfaces with tuneable features and in the formation of patterns of biomaterials that cannot tolerate drying (e.g., cells and lipids).