Single Polar Cell Trapping Based on the Breath Figure Method

Abstract

The ability to research individual cells is important for various biological studies. Currently reported biointerfaces for single-cell analysis can only trap individual cells in random morphologies. Cell polarity is a key factor in cellular functions, and the study of single-cell polarity can facilitate an understanding of cancer metastasis and stem-cell differentiation. For single polar cell trapping, anisotropic honeycomb-structured films were prepared. Elastic poly(1,2-butadiene) honeycomb films with ordered hexagonal pores were first prepared via the breath figure method. Subsequently, the films were subjected to mechanical stretching and fixed via photo-cross-linking under UV light irradiation. This stretched honeycomb structure was then transferred to a polystyrene surface. The resultant anisotropic porous films exhibited excellent capacity for single-cell trapping. Besides contributing to the physical spatial confinement of cells, the trapped single cells exhibited orientation in different polarities. The single polar cell array provided a novel platform for fundamental biological research.