Hold on at the right spot: Bioactive surfaces for the design of live-cell micropatterns

The merger of biology and modern microsystem technology bears challenges literally at the interface. Precise control of the interaction between an artificial surface and a biological environment is a prerequisite for a successful interplay of the "living world" with man-made technology. Any design of a chip for a spatially controlled attachment and outgrowth of living cells has to meet two fundamental yet apparently opposing requirements: it has to divide the surface into areas that favor cell adhesion and those that resist it. In the first part of this article, we provide a basis for an understanding of how to achieve both tasks by discussing basic considerations concerning cell adhesion to matrices in vivo and ways to control the interactions between biomacromolecules and surfaces. We also include an overview of current strategies for the integration of living cells on planar devices that aims to provide a starting point for the exploration of the emerging field of cell-chip technology. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.