Molecular patterning processes taking place in biological systems are challenging to study in vivo because of their dynamic behavior, subcellular size, and high degree of complexity. In vitro patterning of biomolecules using nanolithography allows simplification of the processes and detailed study of the dynamic interactions. Parallel dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) is uniquely capable of integrating functional biomolecules on subcellular length scales due to its constructive nature, high resolution, and high throughput. Phospholipids are particularly well suited as inks for DPN since a variety of different functional lipids can be readily patterned in parallel. Here DPN is used to spatially pattern multicomponent micro- and nanostructured supported lipid membranes and multilayers that are fluid and contain various amounts of biotin and/or nitrilotriacetic acid functional groups. The patterns are characterized by fluorescence microscopy and photoemission electron microscopy. Selective adsorption of functionalized or recombinant proteins based on streptavidin or histidine-tag coupling enables the semisynthetic fabrication of model peripheral membrane bound proteins. The biomimetic membrane patterns formed in this way are then used as substrates for cell culture, as demonstrated by the selective adhesion and activation of T-cells.

The cover picture illustrates the concept of multiplexed dip‐pen nanolithography, where different tips in a parallel array simultaneously integrate materials on the same surface with both high resolution and throughput. Inkjet printing is used to deliver the different inks to different tips in the arrays for large‐scale integration, while the use of lipid inks enables the incorporation of functional biomolecules. A schematic image of the concept is shown along with fluorescence micrographs of multicomponent phospholipid patterns fabricated by this technique. For more information, please read the Communication “A Self‐Correcting Inking Strategy for Cantilever Arrays Addressed by an Inkjet Printer and Used for Dip‐Pen Nanolithography” by C. A. Mirkin et al. and Full Paper “Multiplexed Lipid Dip‐Pen Nanolithography on Subcellular Scales for the Templating of Functional Proteins and Cell Culture” by S. Lenhert et al., beginning on pages 1666 and 1785, respectively.