Patterning Biological Cells Using Microfabrication Technology

该项目将采用一项在EPSRC以前的研究中开发的技术，并为专利和商业化做准备。该技术涉及简单的微加工（芯片制造）技术，该技术在半导体洁净室中很常见且价格低廉。图案是在硅上创建的，使用标准的微加工和精心选择的材料（聚合物）。这些模式在创造的时候是生物惰性的。它们可以作为空白无限期地储存。随后，将空白浸入激活它们的蛋白质混合物中-因此神经细胞优先在聚合物图案上生长，从而允许网络以相当高的精度设计和组装。该项目将优化神经元的微制造步骤和生物浸渍过程，探索对干细胞和肌肉等其他形式的细胞进行图案化的能力，并为利用该技术建立商业案例。应用领域包括：-1）使用设计的细胞模式的实验室实验2）药物发现和分析3）修复术-使用模式有效地重新连接受损组织（1）是眼前的前景。(2)将是该后续项目的市场评估和商业计划的重点，而（3）是相当长期的前景。

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.