The purpose of this research is to fabricate and test the efficacy of culture dishes with unique surfaces. Thin films of metal, metal alloys and ceramics will be applied to standard polystyrene culture dishes. Growth of fibroblast and osteoblast cell lines on the culture plates will serve as models of soft tissue and hard tissue mammalian cells. Cell morphology and growth will be monitored by phase contrast microscopy. Growth curves will be determined for both cell types on each culture surface. Polystyrene plates, as provided by the manufacturer and after sham treatment, will be used for controls. Surface will be characterized by x-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. The results of this study will indicate whether films prepared from metals, metal alloys and ceramics can be used as unique surfaces for mammalian cell culture. Phase II research will establish specific applications for individual culture dish fabrications.
