2 research outputs found
Support of Neuronal Growth Over Glial Growth and Guidance of Optic Nerve Axons by Vertical Nanowire Arrays
Neural cultures are very useful in
neuroscience, providing simpler and better controlled systems than
the <i>in vivo</i> situation. Neural tissue contains two
main cell types, neurons and glia, and interactions between these
are essential for appropriate neuronal development. In neural cultures,
glial cells tend to overgrow neurons, limiting the access to neuronal
interrogation. There is therefore a pressing need for improved systems
that enable a good separation when coculturing neurons and glial cells
simultaneously, allowing one to address the neurons unequivocally.
Here, we used substrates consisting of dense arrays of vertical nanowires
intercalated by flat regions to separate retinal neurons and glial
cells in distinct, but neighboring, compartments. We also generated
a nanowire patterning capable of guiding optic nerve axons. The results
will facilitate the design of surfaces aimed at studying and controlling
neuronal networks
Fluid and Highly Curved Model Membranes on Vertical Nanowire Arrays
Sensing and manipulating living cells
using vertical nanowire devices
requires a complete understanding of cell behavior on these substrates.
Changes in cell function and phenotype are often triggered by events
taking place at the plasma membrane, the properties of which are influenced
by local curvature. The nanowire topography can therefore be expected
to greatly affect the cell membrane, emphasizing the importance of
studying membranes on vertical nanowire arrays. Here, we used supported
phospholipid bilayers as a model for biomembranes. We demonstrate
the formation of fluid supported bilayers on vertical nanowire forests
using self-assembly from vesicles in solution. The bilayers were found
to follow the contours of the nanowires to form continuous and locally
highly curved model membranes. Distinct from standard flat supported
lipid bilayers, the high aspect ratio of the nanowires results in
a large bilayer surface available for the immobilization and study
of biomolecules. We used these bilayers to bind a membrane-anchored
protein as well as tethered vesicles on the nanowire substrate. The
nanowire-bilayer platform shown here can be expanded from fundamental
studies of lipid membranes on controlled curvature substrates to the
development of innovative membrane-based nanosensors