Biomaterial Surface patterning of self assembled monolayers for controlling neuronal cell behavior

Control of the position, growth and subsequent function of living cells is a fundamental problem in tissue and cellular engineering. The development of a generation of 'smart' biomaterial substrates requires strict control over the material's surface properties, because the initial response of the cultured cells to the biomaterials mainly depends upon the surface characteristics of the engineered material. Since most of the cells in the body are arranged in distinct patterns during development, it would be beneficial if one could create patterned environments in-vitro for regulating cell behavior, for applications in vivo, in particular for CNS neurons. Accordingly, in this article, we provide design strategies and methodologies developed for nano- and micro-scale surface patterning and the subsequent control of cellular responses in-vitro.