Using self-assembled monolayers to understand the interactions of man-made surfaces with proteins and cells.

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) formed on the adsorption of long-chain alkanethiols to the surface of gold or alkylsilanes to hydroxylated surfaces are well-ordered organic surfaces that permit control over the properties of the interface at the molecular scale. The ability to present molecules, peptides, and proteins at the interface make SAMs especially useful for fundamental studies of protein adsorption and cell adhesion. Microcontact printing is a simple technique that can pattern the formation of SAMs in the plane of the monolayer with dimensions on the micron scale. The convenience and broad application offered by SAMs and microcontact printing make this combination of techniques useful for studying a variety of fundamental phenomena in biointerfacial science.