Engineering Biosurfaces for Cell Studies

Biospecificity and the non-specific adsorption of proteins are two major issues for the use of biomaterials in implants and tissue engineering. This thesis describes efforts to reduce non-specific adsorption of proteins onto biomaterials and to enhance the biological activity of a biomaterial surface. In the first study, protein and cell resistance of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG)-terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were studied as a function of the chain length of the OEG unit. In general, PEG with high molecular weight is better than short OEG SAMs in reducing protein and cell adhesion. In the second study, the effort to tune the biological activity of a material was achieved by microfluidic tools. These devices were used to pattern the biomaterial surface with covalently-immobilized gradients of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, laminin and collagen I. In turn, these surfaces were capable of directing the cell cycle progression and the migration of epithelial cells. This latter method of precisely controlling the cell environment is simple and broadly portable to other cell lines and to other ECM proteins or soluble factors.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Chemical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Gunawan, Rico Christian

Contributors dc:contributor

• Leckband, Deborah E.

• Engineering, Chemical

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3153308

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/82366