Block Copolymer Substrata For Controlling Cellullar Fate And Function In Mammalian Tissue Cultures
Open Access
Author:
Veiszlemlein, John Yany
Area of Honors:
Chemical Engineering
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Dr. Enrique Daniel Gomez, Thesis Supervisor Dr. Enrique Daniel Gomez, Thesis Honors Advisor Esther Winter Gomez, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
Block Copolymer BCP Myofibroblast Polymer Atomic Force Microscopy AFM PS-PDMS
Abstract:
Myofibroblasts are cells that help the body to repair injuries and wounds. They are formed through the differentiation of other cells, though the precise signals that instigate this differentiation are not well understood. To determine critical length scales in chemical and mechanical cues that are necessary for the development of myofibroblasts, it is necessary to create and characterize an ordered microenvironment in which the cell exists. This research has focused on forming that ordered environment through block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly, and characterizing it through atomic force microscopy (AFM), in the process developing a protocol which can then be used to form large quantities of BCP substrata for use in cell signaling studies. For this study, several different polymerizations of Polystyrene-block-polymethylsiloxane (PS-PDMS) were spin coated onto silicon and glass substrates and formed into bulk polymer discs. The polymers’ microphase separation was characterized by AFM. PS-PDMS demonstrated consistent phase-separation with spherical, cylindrical, and lamellar morphologies. Additionally, cells were cultured on BCP discs under various conditions. The results obtained indicate that PS-PDMS will be a useful BCP medium for future study of how the nanoscale architecture of cell adhesive sites regulates cell signaling and behavior.
