Protein patterning on hydrogels by direct microcontact printing: application to cardiac differentiation

Abstract

An extended microcontact printing technique to chemically pattern hydrogels is reported. The procedure employs standard polydimethylsiloxane stamps and requires minor pre-processing of the hydrogels by freeze-drying. Micropatterned Matrigel™ and gelatin hydrogels induce NIH-3T3 cell alignment and elongation. Furthermore, human embryonic stem cells cultured on fibronectin-patterned hydrogels display beating foci earlier than those cultured on non-patterned substrates.