Direct patterning of coplanar polyethylene glycol alkylsilane monolayers by deep-ultraviolet photolithography as a general method for high fidelity, long-term cell patterning and culture

This manuscript details a general method for patterning coplanar alkylsilane monolayers using deep-ultraviolet photolithography that has broad application for high fidelity patterning of cells of varying phenotype in long-term cultures. A polyethylene glycol monolayer was formed on a silica substrate and then patterned using 193 nm light from an ArF excimer laser. The regions of photoablation were then rederivatized with (3-trimethoxysilyl propyl) diethyltriamine (DETA), yielding high contrast cytophilic islands that promoted cell adhesion and growth. Rat hippocampal neurons, motoneurons, and myoblasts were then cultured in a defined, serum-free medium on the patterned surfaces for periods in excess of 40 days. This approach has been shown to be useful as a general method for the long-term culture of multiple cell types in highly defined spatial patterns and can be used for supporting complex cocultures for creating in vitro models for biological systems. (C) 2011 American Vacuum Society. [DOI: 10.1116/1.3549127]