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| Cells moving into the pyramids |
A field full of pyramids, but on a micro scale. Each of the pyramids
hides a living cell. Thanks to 3D micro- and nano scale fabrication,
promising new applications can be found. One of them is applying the
micro pyramids for cell research: thanks to the open ‘walls’ of the
pyramids, the cells interact. Scientists of the research institutes
MESA+ and MIRA of the University of Twente in The Netherlands present
this new technology and first applications in Small journal of the
beginning of December.
Most of the cell studies take place in 2D: this is not a natural
situation, because cells organize themselves in another way than in the
human body. If you give the cells room to move in three dimensions, the
natural situation is approached in a better way while capturing them in
an array. This is possible in the ‘open pyramids’ fabricated in the
NanoLab of the MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology of the University of
Twente.
Tiny corner remains filled
The cleanroom technology applied for this, has been discovered by
coincidence and is now called ‘corner lithography’. If you join a number
of flat silicon surface in a sharp corner, it is possible to deposit
another material on them. After having removed the material, however, a
small amount of material remains in the corner. This tiny tip can be
used for an Atomic Force Microscope, or, in this case, for forming a
micro pyramid.
Catching cells
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| Chondrocyte captured inside a micro pyramid, interacting with its neighbours |
In cooperation with UT’s MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and
Technical Medicine, the nanoscientists have explored the possibilities
of applying the pyramids as ‘cages’ for cells. First experiments with
polystyrene balls worked out well. The next experiments involved
capturing chondrocytes, cells forming cartilage. Moved by capillary
fluid flow, these cells automatically ‘fall’ into the pyramid through a
hole at the bottom. Soon after they settle in their 3D cage, cells begin
to interact with cells in adjacent pyramids. Changes in the phenotype
of the cell can now be studied in a better way than in the usual 2D
situation. It is therefore a promising tool to be used in for example
tissue regeneration research.
