Journal article

Efficient Transmission Electron Microscopy Characterization of Cell-Nanostructure Interfacial Interactions

Stella Aslanoglou, Yaping Chen, Viola Oorschot, Zlatan Trifunovic, Eric Hanssen, Koukou Suu, Nicolas H Voelcker, Roey Elnathan

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY | AMER CHEMICAL SOC | Published : 2020

Abstract

Engineered nano–bio interfaces driven by tunable vertically configured nanostructures have recently emerged as a powerful tool for cellular manipulations and interrogations. Yet the interplay between substrate topography and cellular behavior is highly complex and not fully understood. A new experimental design is proposed that enables generation of ultrathin sections (lamellae) of cell–nanostructure imprints with minimal artifacts. We demonstrate the potential of such lamellae for efficient transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization of interfacial interactions between adherent cells and vertically aligned Si nanostructures. This approach will advance understanding of cellular r..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by Australian government (ARC DECRA project)


Funding Acknowledgements

This work was in part funded by the Australian government (ARC DECRA project number: DE170100021), CSIRO, and ULVAC Inc. N.H.V. acknowledges funding from the CSIRO Research Office for a Science Leader Fellowship. The research was conducted in part at the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN) in the Victorian Node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF). The authors acknowledge Dr. Victor J. Cadarso for the fruitful discussions, Ms. Joan Clark for help with ultramicrotome sectioning, Dr. Vahid R. Adineh for performing ellipsometry measurements, and the Ramaciotti Centre for Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Monash University) for providing materials for TEM sample preparation. Original graphic artwork by Yoram Kratter after drawings by S.A.