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Soft lithography in biology and biochemistry
G M Whitesides1, E Ostuni, S Takayama
1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. gwhitesides@gmwgroup.harvard.edu
Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering
|July 12, 2001
Summary
Soft lithography is a versatile microfabrication technique for biological applications. It enables precise control over surface chemistry and cell patterning, offering an inexpensive and rapid alternative to photolithography.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Materials Science
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Soft lithography offers advantages over traditional photolithography for microfabrication.
- It is particularly suited for biological applications requiring precise surface patterning and microchannel fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the capabilities of soft lithography for biological microfabrication.
- To demonstrate its utility in controlling surface molecular structure and patterning cells.
Main Methods:
- Utilizes elastomeric stamps for printing and molding microstructures.
- Employs self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiolates on gold for surface patterning.
Main Results:
- Soft lithography allows for control over molecular structure and patterning of biological molecules.
- It facilitates the fabrication of microfluidic channels and the manipulation of cells.
- Rapid, inexpensive prototyping is achievable for feature sizes greater than or equal to 50 microns.
Conclusions:
- Soft lithography is a powerful and adaptable technique for creating microstructures in biology.
- It provides exquisite control over surface biochemistry, especially when using alkanethiolate monolayers on gold.