Dresden 2011 – scientific programme
Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help
BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 30: Posters: Physics of Cells
BP 30.5: Poster
Thursday, March 17, 2011, 17:15–20:00, P3
Cells on different substrates. An investigation with AFM and optical microscopy. — •Daniele Martini1, Michael Beil2, Thomas Schimmel3,4, and Othmar Marti1 — 1Department of Experimental Physics, Ulm University — 2Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital — 3Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe — 4Karlsruhe University
In this poster we discuss the influence of the substrate nanostructure on mechanical properties and motility of the cells.
The chemical and physical properties of the substrate can influence the cell motility and the mechanics and arrangement of the cytoskeleton. Nanopatterns of adhesion islands can be produced with lithography: in this way the mechanisms governing the determination of cell shape in response to external adhesive conditions can be analyzed. Changes in these characteristics can be observed measuring the stiffness of the cells with the AFM, making an indentation of a few hundreds nanometers. We estimate the stiffness applying the Hertz model to the obtained Force-Distance curve. Moreover, cell motility is also modulated by the substrate. In particular, we observed that cells cultivated on gold moves twice as fast as those on PS. Cells on aluminum move three times faster then those on PS.