Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 6
Molecular structure of peptide ink.
a
This class of peptide ink has three general
regions along their lengths: a ligand for specific cell recognition and attachment, a linker
for physical separation from the surface, and an anchor for covalent attachment to the
surface. Color code: carbon,
green
;hydrogen,
white
;oxygen,
red
;nitrogen,
blue
;thiol
group,
yellow
.
b
Cells adhere to printed patterns. The protein was printed onto a uniform
PEG inhibitory background. Cells adhered to patterns after 8-10 days in culture. (Images
courtesy Sawyer Fuller and Neville Sanjana)
We are interested in studying the nerve fiber navigation on designed
pattern surfaces in detail. Studies of nerve fiber navigation and nerve cell
connections will undoubtedly enhance our general understanding of the fun-
damental aspects of neuronal activities in the human brain and brain-body
connections. It will probably also have applications in screening neuropep-
tides and drugs that stimulate or inhibit nerve fiber navigation and nerve cell
connections.
3.4
Nanowires
In the computing industry, the fabrication of nanowires using the “top-down”
approach faces tremendous challenges. Thus, the possibility of fabricating
conducting nanowires by molecular means using peptide scaffolds is of par-
ticular interest to the electronics industry. One can readily envision that
nanotubes made from self-assembling peptides might serve as templates for
metallization. Once the organic scaffold has been removed, a pure conducting
wire is left behind and immobilized on a surface (Fig. 7). There is great inter-
