Prof. Milan Mrksich, University of Chicago

Tailored Substrates for Cell Biology

Most cells are adherent and must attach and spread on an insoluble protein matrix in order to survive, proliferate, differentiate, and carry out the broad array of cellular functions. The complexity of this 'extracellular matrix' makes it difficult to identify ligand-receptor interactions with adherent cells and to understand the signaling pathways that these interactions regulate. This seminar Will describe a bottom-up approach that uses self-assembled monolayers to prepare substrates that are simple mimics of the complex matrix. Examples will include the use of surfaces that control the shapes, sizes, and differentiation of cells, the use of surfaces to identify novel adhesion ligands in the extracellular matrix and the preparation of surfaces that are dynamic in that the activities of immobilized ligands can be switched on and off while cells are adherent. These examples reveal the molecular control that is now possible in creating models of the extracellular matrix and illustrate how the tailored substrates can be valuable in fundamental studies of cell adhesion and signaling.

For more information contact Prof. Christine Payne (404-385-3125).