Sharklet Technologies (United States)

This chapter presents a brief history of the foundational and pioneering work in investigating cellular responses to biophysical cues. It presents an overview of natural surface structures and their bioinspired counterparts, including the fabrication and application of these surfaces. The application of microfabrication techniques in biomedical engineering has resulted in tremendous progress toward elucidating cellular responses to both chemical and topographic patterning. The chapter specifically examines the bio-inspired, engineered surface topographies that have emerged as a result. The extracellular matrix (ECM) consists of a variety of components with specific properties that combine synergistically to form tissues. The chapter describes the typical materials, equipment, and methods to complete the fabrication process. Cell morphology is known to influence cytoskeletal organization, gene expression, protein expression, and differentiation. Recently, in order to better recapitulate the natural cellular microenvironment, researchers have designed dynamically responsive biomaterials to elicit changes in cell morphology in real time.