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Smart Photonic Materials (SPM)

Chemistry and Advanced Materials

Our research on azobenzene-based surface topography to guide cell confinement and migration has been published in Nature.

Two epithelial cell images. Left: less bright cell image before change in light induced change in surface topography. Right: bright cell image after light-activated surface topography change.
The image shows epithelial cells growing on a light-activable surface. The brightness of the green indicator tells the amount of intracellular calcium and reveals the response of the cell to the change in the surface topography. Surface-modifying laser is focused to the highlighted (dotted line) area in the sample, leading into calcium release in the cell. Image: Teemu Ihalainen / Tampere University

Our group members Chiara Fedele, Mari Isomäki, and Arri Priimägi in collaboration with the groups of Teemu Ihalainen (Cellular Biophysics group) and Soile Nymark (Biophysics of the Eye group) at Tampere University have established that light can be used to control cellular behaviour by light induced surface topography changes.

Light-controlled surfaces were used to investigate how the topography of extracellular environment – meaning the lumps and bumps of the surface beneath the cells – and the dynamic changes occurring therein affect cell growth, movement and physiology. The findings may one day have important implications, for example, for cancer research. The scientific article on the research Azobenzene-based sinusoidal surface topography drives focal adhesion confinement and guides collective migration of epithelial cells has been published in Nature. Read more…