Multiplexed Protein Arrays Enabled by Polymer Pen Lithography: Addressing the Inking Challenge

Integrated Micro/Nanoengineered Functional Biomaterials for Cell Mechanics and Mechanobiology: A Materials Perspective

“…[177–181] Equipped with a regular array of scanning probes (“pens”), dip-pen lithography and it derivatives first “dip” the “pens” into protein inks before placing the pens onto prescribed locations on a 2D surface to transfer proteins from the pens onto the substrate via meniscus. As highly automated commercially available tools, dip-pen lithography and its derivatives (dip-pen lithography [177] , polymer pen lithography [179,180] , and scanning probe block copolymer lithography [181] ) in conjunction with different designs of pens and inks [178] have delivered a great power to achieve large-scale high-throughput patterning of ECM proteins with a sub-micron resolution.…”

Microcup Arrays Featuring Multiple Chemical Regions Patterned with Nanoscale Precision

“…[1][2][3] Considerable improvements in the methodologies for micro-and nanoscale surface patterning have occurred recently, as highlighted in a number of topical reviews on the different fabrication techniques. [4][5][6][7] Some of the notable examples include dip pen nanolithography (DPN), [ 8 ] polymer pen lithography (PPL), [ 9 ] beam pen lithography (BPL), [ 10 ] electron beam lithography, [ 11 ] photolithography, [ 12 ] inkjet printing, [ 13 ] and soft-lithography-based techniques. [ 14 ] These techniques can position single and multiple chemical and biological moieties in micrometer to nanometer features with extreme accuracy.…”

Protein adsorption and surface patterning

“…The actual pattern fabrication techniques, applicable to both direct and indirect methods, may be based on the use of elastomeric stamps [12,13], microfluidics [14], ink-jet printing [15], photolithography [16], or on different direct writing methods using pins or tips [17][18][19]. Indirect patterning may be a milder and therefore more suitable approach when patterning sensitive biological species, since dehydration could lead to protein denaturation and loss of biological activity (see Fig.…”