Soft lithographic techniques are powerful tools to manipulate and pattern biomaterials on the micrometer scale. These methods allow chemical and biological studies on well-defined, confined regions of surfaces. Microcontact printing and patterning by microfluidic channels will be combined to fabricate cell-based biosensors that will be further utilized to investigate cell behavior. This bioassay will ultimately assist in detection and analysis of diseases. The capabilities and effectiveness of the cell bioassay will be tested through proof of concept demonstrations of cell-protein adhesion and adsorption. Also, this cell-based biosensor will enable investigations of angiogenesis and blood vessel formation in bovine capillary endothelial (BCE) cells. Changes in cell morphology due to the presence of angiogenic growth factors and inhibitors will be studied in parallel channels on a single chip. Moreover, differentiation, capillary tube formation, in BCE cells will be investigated on patterned adhesive substrates. Finally, interactions between BCE cells and tumor cells will be probed to learn how their spreading is affected by the presence of either angiogenic promoters or suppressors. These initial experiments should provide insight on the proposed bioassay's potential and limitations, and how such a device may be exploited to investigate the effects of unknown biologically active molecules on cells.
