Volume 15, Issue 21 1900162
Full Paper

Laser-Assisted Strain Engineering of Thin Elastomer Films to Form Variable Wavy Substrates for Cell Culture

Caterina Tomba

Corresponding Author

Caterina Tomba

Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Quai Ernest Ansermet 30, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland

E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
Tatiana Petithory

Tatiana Petithory

Université de Haute-Alsace, CNRS, IS2M UMR 7361, 15, Rue Jean Starcky, F-68100 Mulhouse, France

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Riccardo Pedron

Riccardo Pedron

Université de Haute-Alsace, CNRS, IS2M UMR 7361, 15, Rue Jean Starcky, F-68100 Mulhouse, France

Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Strasbourg, CNRS UMR 7199Laboratoire de conception et application de molécules bioactives (CAMB), équipe de Pharmacie Biogalénique, 74 Route du Rhin, 67401 Ilkirch Cedex, France

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Aissam Airoudj

Aissam Airoudj

Université de Haute-Alsace, CNRS, IS2M UMR 7361, 15, Rue Jean Starcky, F-68100 Mulhouse, France

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Ilaria Di Meglio

Ilaria Di Meglio

Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Quai Ernest Ansermet 30, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland

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Aurélien Roux

Aurélien Roux

Department of Biochemistry, University of Geneva, Quai Ernest Ansermet 30, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland

National Center of Competence in Research Chemical Biology, University of Geneva, Quai Ernest Ansermet 30, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland

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Valeriy Luchnikov

Corresponding Author

Valeriy Luchnikov

Université de Haute-Alsace, CNRS, IS2M UMR 7361, 15, Rue Jean Starcky, F-68100 Mulhouse, France

E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
First published: 05 April 2019
Citations: 11

Abstract

Endothelial and epithelial cells usually grow on a curved environment, at the surface of organs, which many techniques have tried to reproduce. Here a simple method is proposed to control curvature of the substrate. Prestrained thin elastomer films are treated by infrared laser irradiation in order to rigidify the surface of the film. Wrinkled morphologies are produced upon stress relaxation for irradiation doses above a critical value. Wrinkle wavelength and depth are controlled by the prestrain, the laser power, and the speed at which the laser scans the film surface. Stretching of elastomer substrates with a “sand clock”-width profile enables the generation of a stress gradient, which results in patterns of wrinkles with a depth gradient. Thus, different combinations of topography changes on the same substrate can be generated. The wavelength and the depth of the wrinkles, which have the characteristic values within a range of several tens of µm, can be dynamically regulated by the substrate reversible stretching. It is shown that these anisotropic features are efficient substrates to control polarization of cell shapes and orientation of their migration. With this approach a flexible tool is provided for a wide range of applications in cell biophysics studies.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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