Photosensitive hydrogel coatings for controlling cell adhesion

M2 Internship proposal

Laboratoire Sciences et Ingénierie de la Matière Molle, (SIMM) and PASTEUR laboratory (ENS)

Address : ESPCI, 10 Rue Vauquelin 75005 Paris

Head : Etienne Barthel

Contact : and

Mammalian cells are in constant interaction with their environment. They interact with the extracellular matrix via membrane receptors called integrins, which specifically recognize the tripeptide sequence RGD [1]. The density of ligands on the surface is of crucial importance pour cell response. In order to reproduce these phenomena, we plan to create a platform capable of both controlling ligand density and modulating its accessibility by light stimulation.

Our strategy is to use a surface-grafted and cross-linked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel. PNIPAM is thermo-stimulable polymer and switches from a swollen state to a collapsed state at around 32°C [2]. This could be used to modulate ligand accessibility and hence cell adhesion [3]. To convert the temperature stimulus into a light stimulus, one of the aims of this thesis is to use gold nanoparticles (GNPs) which, by thermoplasmonic effect, produce heat locally under light irradiation [4]. This surface will then be modified using a microfluidic device to graft a gradient of ligand onto the surface [5].

References :
[1] J. D. Hood, D. A. Cheresh, Nat. Rev. Cancer 2002, 2, 91.
[2] Chollet, B. ; Li, M. ; Martwong, E. ; Bresson, B. ; Fretigny, C. ; Tabeling, P. ; Tran, Y. ACS Appl. Mat. Interfaces 2016, 8, 11729..
[3] F. Dalier, F. Eghiaian, S. Scheuring, E. Marie, C. Tribet, Biomacromolecules 2016, 17, 1727.
[4] M. Zhu, G. Baffou, N. Meyerbro, ACS Nano 2012, 6, 7227.
[5] M. Morel, J. C. Galas, M. Dahan, V. Studer, Lab Chip 2012, 12, 1340.

Location of the internship :
PASTEUR – ENS Paris. 24, rue Lhomond. 75005 Paris
SIMM - ESPCI Paris. 10, rue Vauquelin. 75005 Paris

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