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Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing

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01-10-2010 | Special Issue - Original Article

Micro/nano-fabrication technologies for cell biology

Authors: Tongcheng Qian, Yingxiao Wang

Published in: Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing | Issue 10/2010

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Abstract

Micro/nano-fabrication techniques, such as soft lithography and electrospinning, have been well-developed and widely applied in many research fields in the past decade. Due to the low costs and simple procedures, these techniques have become important and popular for biological studies. In this review, we focus on the studies integrating micro/nano-fabrication work to elucidate the molecular mechanism of signaling transduction in cell biology. We first describe different micro/nano-fabrication technologies, including techniques generating three-dimensional scaffolds for tissue engineering. We then introduce the application of these technologies in manipulating the physical or chemical micro/nano-environment to regulate the cellular behavior and response, such as cell life and death, differentiation, proliferation, and cell migration. Recent advancement in integrating the micro/nano-technologies and live cell imaging are also discussed. Finally, potential schemes in cell biology involving micro/nano-fabrication technologies are proposed to provide perspectives on the future research activities.

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Title: Micro/nano-fabrication technologies for cell biology
Authors: Tongcheng Qian
Yingxiao Wang
Publication date: 01-10-2010
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing / Issue 10/2010
Print ISSN: 0140-0118
Electronic ISSN: 1741-0444
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-010-0632-z

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