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Poly(ethylene glycol) Micropillar Arrays as Force Sensors for Biophysical Applications
Forces play a crucial role in the regulation and function of biological processes. One of the most commonly used tools for measuring forces are elastic micropillars made of poly(dimethylsiloxane). By using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) micropillars, several new ex- perimental approaches could be developed. The aim of this thesis was the enhancement and the experimental application of these PEG micropillars. Not only the achievable geometries, but also the functionalization potential was significantly enhanced. For this, the PEG micropillar fabrication was combined with the transfer of hexagonal gold nanoparticle structures to PEG hydrogels. As a result, PEG micropillars exhibiting gold nanoparticle structures on their tops were obtained. These gold nanoparticles can serve as anchor points for a variety of proteins or other biologically active compounds. To study integrin dependent cell adhesion they were func- tionalized with αvβ3- or α5β1-integrin selective peptidomimetics. Cell experiments showed that fibroblasts exerted higher maximum forces on the α5β1-integrin selective ligand than cells on the αvβ3-integrin ligand. These observations were supported by higher local zyxin densities in adhesion clusters and the analysis of further proteins involved in the adhesion process. Further- more, the achievable PEG pillar force resolution of 9 ± 2 pN was demonstrated by investigating the contractile forces of in vitro actin networks bundled by magnesium ions.
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530 Physik
530 Physics
540 Chemie
540 Chemistry and allied sciences
570 Biowissenschaften, Biologie
570 Life sciences