Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 1, 2026
10:09
Fabricating Reactive Surfaces with Brush-like and Crosslinked Films of Azlactone-Functionalized Block Co-Polymers
Published on: June 30, 2018
8.7K
Engineering live cell surfaces with functional polymers via cytocompatible controlled radical polymerization
Jia Niu1,2, David J Lunn2,3, Anusha Pusuluri4
1California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA.
Nature Chemistry
|May 25, 2017
Summary
Researchers developed a new method to attach synthetic polymers to live cells, improving control over cell behavior. This cell surface engineering technique enhances polymer grafting efficiency for potential therapeutic applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Grafting synthetic polymers onto live cells can control cellular phenotype and processes.
- Existing grafting-to methods suffer from low polymer grafting efficiency.
- A need exists for improved methods for cell surface functionalization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an efficient strategy for engineering live cell surfaces with synthetic polymers.
- To investigate a cell surface-initiated controlled radical polymerization approach.
- To compare the new method with conventional grafting-to techniques.
Main Methods:
- Developed cytocompatible photoinduced electron transfer-reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization (PET-RAFT).
- Initiated polymer chain growth directly from chain-transfer agents anchored to yeast and mammalian cell surfaces.
- Utilized both covalent attachment and non-covalent insertion for anchoring chain-transfer agents.
Main Results:
- Achieved narrow polydispersity synthetic polymers (Mw/Mn < 1.3) at room temperature within 5 minutes.
- Demonstrated high cell viability during the surface-initiated polymerization process.
- Significantly improved polymer grafting efficiency compared to conventional grafting-to methods.
Conclusions:
- The novel grafting-from strategy enables efficient and controlled synthetic polymer grafting onto live cells.
- This approach maintains high cell viability and allows for active manipulation of cellular phenotypes.
- The developed PET-RAFT polymerization offers a powerful tool for advanced cell surface engineering.
