Optical Protein Patterning

Abstract

Engineered cell culture substrates are used to study how the spatial and temporal organization of proteins influences cellular and molecular processes. These artificial microenvironments can be tailored with subcellular resolution to mimic in vitro the distribution of proteins that cells encounter in vivo . Various different methodologies can be used to fabricate these patterned substrates, depending on the specific characteristics required. Optical pr otein patterning is a straightforward method for generating substrate -bound protein patterns , which has the simplicity required to be implemented in typical life science laboratories. The method described here is based on photobleaching of fluorescently tagged molecules and allows making arbitrary patterns and concentration gradients of protein with submicron spatial resolution . Furthermore, patterns can combine several different proteins simultaneously and use antibodies to bind a large spectrum of molecules.