A High-throughput Cell Microarray Platform for Correlative Analysis of Cell Differentiation and Traction ForcesKerim B. Kaylan 1, Andreas P. Kourouklis 1, Gregory H. Underhill 1
1Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Cell differentiation is regulated by a host of microenvironmental factors, including both matrix composition and substrate material properties. We describe here a technique utilizing cell microarrays in conjunction with traction force microscopy to evaluate both cell differentiation and biomechanical cell–substrate interactions as a function of microenvironmental context.