A Cost-Effective, Chip-Based Platform for Patterned Single-Cell Culture

Existing single-cell culture platforms often suffer from high costs, operational complexity, and limited functional integration. To address this, we present a Cell Growth Region Restriction Platform (CGRRP) leveraging cell-repellent polyacrylamide (PAM) and biocompatible SU-8 photoresist. By patterning SU-8 "islands" on a PAM-coated substrate, we achieve controlled cell growth with single-cell resolution. CGRRP effectively confines cell growth, engineering artificial cell-cell connections across various cell types. Furthermore, it integrates with optical waveguides for potential optogenetic applications. This high-throughput, cost-effective platform offers a robust tool for studying single-cell behaviors and intercellular communication.