Biointerfaces: Enabling Technology for Bio-Research

In collaboration with research groups from PSI and Universities we are developing surfaces for application in biomolecular and biomaterials research ranging from protein patterns on wafer, glass and polymer surfaces to micro- and nanostructured surfaces and templates for replication in biocompatible polymers.

Specific projects

Integrated microneedle-optofluidic biosensor     In an international collaboration between the University of the British Columbia (UBC) and the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), a promising system for painless and minimally-invasive therapeutic drug monitoring has been demonstrated. The proposed device is based on the combination of an optofluidic system with hollow microneedles to extract extremely small volumes (< 1 nL) of interstitial fluid (ISF) to measure drug concentrations.  >>read more
 

VEGF-Patterns     Based on photolithograpghy or on microfluidics we are producing patterns of proteins of the VEGF-Family. Studies of porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAE cells) cultured on the substrates will enable new insighst into the mechanisms deteriming blood vessel formation which are highly dependent on the presence and distribution of VEGF-proteins. In collaboration with Kurt Ballmer, molecular cell biology at PSI

Nanopillar arrays for cell growth studies    In a collaboration with the "Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Research Laboratory" (BIOMAT), METU, Ankara, we designed and produced of arrays of 200 nm to 1 µm wide and 1 to  5 µm tall pillars with pillar-to-pillar distances in the range of 1-10 µm. The pillar arrays were replicated into biocompatible polymers and are being used in cell growth experiments performed at METU. Studies of cell adhesion and proliferation of different cells depending on the pillar size and inter-pillar distances deliver valuable information for the design of medical implant surfaces.