Regulating Cell Orientation with a Femtosecond Laser-Induced Macro Stripe Design on Metallic Culture Surfaces

Abstract Controlling cell orientation is paramount in bioengineering processes. While several surface modification techniques have emerged to guide cell alignment, they often involve complex, repetitive procedures for each experiment. A streamlined approach for cell orientation is thus necessary. In this study, we present a reusable metallic culture surface that induces an anisotropic cell orientation, attributed to its unique geometric morphology. By employing a femtosecond laser, periodic nanostructures were produced on the metallic culture surface, leading to a distinctive macro-stripe design composed of both laser-treated and mirrored areas. Myoblast cells cultured on this surface displayed a pronounced orientation. Initial random cell adherence was followed by migration towards the mirror surface, culminating in the desired orientation. This shift can be credited to the mirrored sections offering superior cell adhesion and reduced wettability compared to the laser-treated sections. This innovative culture surface holds significant potential for advancing bioengineering endeavors, especially in the realm of tissue engineering.