Abstract
Traditional methods to study cell-cell adhesion have been limited by their inability to manipulate cell-cell interactions without simultaneously affecting other microenvironmental factors. Here we describe a novel method that enables the culture of cells with precise simultaneous control of both cell-cell and cell-substratum adhesion. Using microfabricated stamps of poly(dimethylsiloxane), we construct bowtie-shaped agarose microwells into which cells can be cultured. The degree to which cells spread is controlled by the size of the microwell; cell-cell contacts form between neighboring cells within the microwell. This chapter describes the details of stamp fabrication, agarose microwell construction, and cell culture in micropatterned substrata.
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© 2007 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ
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Nelson, C.M., Liu, W.F., Chen, C.S. (2007). Manipulation of Cell-Cell Adhesion Using Bowtie-Shaped Microwells. In: Coutts, A.S. (eds) Adhesion Protein Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 370. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-353-0_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-353-0_1
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-533-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-353-0
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