Suit Your Cell: Designing Custom Biomaterials

Suit Your Cell: Designing Custom Biomaterials

Collections: Image Award Winners

2016 Award Winner

Asha K. Patel, Daniel G. Anderson, Robert S. Langer, Morgan R. Alexander, Chris N. Denning, Martyn C. Davies

Koch Institute at MIT, University of Nottingham

Developing materials for biotechnology is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Different cell types behave in different ways depending on the materials they interact with.

This composite image shows how heart cells (fibrous images, e.g., row 2, column 1) and stem cells (spotted images, e.g., row 1, column 3) respond to various synthetic polymers deposited onto microscopic arrays. After testing hundreds of chemical combinations, the most promising candidates are selected to develop tailor-made materials for biomedical research and clinical applications.

Video

Asha Patel describes the stories behind her award-winning image.