JoVE Logo

Sign In

A subscription to JoVE is required to view this content. Sign in or start your free trial.

Abstract

Developmental Biology

Simple Lithography-Free Single Cell Micropatterning using Laser-Cut Stencils

Published: April 3rd, 2020

DOI:

10.3791/60888

1Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, 2Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University, 3Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, 4Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Heidelberg, 5German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim

* These authors contributed equally

Abstract

Micropatterning techniques have been widely used in cell biology to study effects of controlling cell shape and size on cell fate determination at single cell resolution. Current state-of-the-art single cell micropatterning techniques involve soft lithography and micro-contact printing, which is a powerful technology, but requires trained engineering skills and certain facility support in microfabrication. These limitations require a more accessible technique. Here, we describe a simple alternative lithography-free method: stencil-based single cell patterning. We provide step-by-step procedures including stencil design, polyacrylamide hydrogel fabrication, stencil-based protein incorporation, and cell plating and culture. This simple method can be used to pattern an array of as many as 2,000 cells. We demonstrate the patterning of cardiomyocytes derived from single human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) with distinct cell shapes, from a 1:1 square to a 7:1 adult cardiomyocyte-like rectangle. This stencil-based single cell patterning is lithography-free, technically robust, convenient, inexpensive, and most importantly accessible to those with a limited bioengineering background.

Explore More Videos

Keywords Single Cell Micropatterning

This article has been published

Video Coming Soon

JoVE Logo

Privacy

Terms of Use

Policies

Research

Education

ABOUT JoVE

Copyright © 2024 MyJoVE Corporation. All rights reserved