Geometric Cues for Directing Cell Fate

Abstract

Geometry is an important aspect of the environment surrounding cells and tissues. Often the chemical and physical aspects of the environment will dictate a corresponding topography that gives rise to a host of connected activities. Microengineering materials have been widely used for a variety of biomedical applications, including protein biosensors and microarrays, cell-based drug screening, and fundamental cell biology (cell–cell, cell–matrix, and cell–factor interaction) and applied tissue engineering. The platforms employed to control the shape of cells and tissues are diverse and often vary according to the context of the application or necessary materials. In this chapter, we provide an overview of state-of-the-art microengineering techniques used for cell and tissue micropatterning, along with a description of how they are applied to a variety of cell and biomaterial types.