The use of materials patterned on a nano- and micro-metric scale in cellular engineering

Biological cells form distinct groupings in tissue depending on their function. This is as essential in the regrowth of damaged tissue as it is in the development of the mature animal from its egg. For a number of years we have been exploring the effect of surfaces patterned with a topographic relief pattern and with patterns of bound active bio-molecules. The response of cells to micron-sized features, the response of cells to nano-metric features and the effects of soft materials are discussed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.