Biomolecularly and mechanically instructive materials for guiding cell-substrate interactions

Banks, Jessica M

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/87987 Copy

Description

Title

Biomolecularly and mechanically instructive materials for guiding cell-substrate interactions

Author(s)

Banks, Jessica M

Issue Date

2015-07-01

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Bailey, Ryan C.

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Bailey, Ryan C.

Committee Member(s)

• Harley, Brendan A.
• Mitchell, Douglas A.
• Murphy, Catherine J.

Department of Study

Chemistry

Discipline

Chemistry

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Stem cell differentiation
• Biomaterials
• Hydrogels
• Collagen scaffolds
• Leukocyte rolling
• Photolithography
• Benzophenone

Abstract

Techniques that enable the creation of instructive biomaterials have the potential to advance our understanding and ability to guide cell fate and function. Benzophenone (BP) photolithography is uniquely suited to generating chemically and mechanically tailored materials because of its molecularly general and spatially modulated characteristics. Here, we describe the application of this methodology to investigate two important biological processes in the context of mechanical and biochemical cues. First, we generated gradients of cellular adhesion molecules that allowed us to understand the mechanism by which bromelain affects cell rolling during the early steps of inflammation. The latter part of this work utilized BP-mediated immobilization on two substrates, collagen-glycosaminoglycan membranes and polyacrylamide hydrogels, to evaluate stem cell diffferentiation. In summary, we have developed a photoreactive platform that provides the capability to control biomolecule density separately from mechanical properties. This strategy can be used on a variety of biorelevant substrates to replicate the properties of the native extracellular matrix. Our results shed light on the combinatorial influence of multiple cues and have the potential to identify key parameters to specifically alter cell response with a view towards tissue regeneration.

Graduation Semester

2015-8

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/87987

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2015 Jessica Madeline Banks

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