Author:

Abstract:

Many disease diagnosis depends on the identification of cells and pathogens contained in body fluids. Due to natural receptors’ high cost and inadequate stability amongst other limitations [1], studies on cell detection are focusing on better alternatives for biosensor applications such as biomimetic recognition elements. An example of such recognition layer is the so called surface imprinted polymers (SIPs) which is produced by cell imprinting on polymer layers. These receptors have been shown to be suitable for specific and selective cellular recognition. However, their working mechanisms are not fully understood. Therefore in this study, various factors that control the cell recognition were explored using dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS). Specifically, the molecular dynamics of surface-imprinted and non-imprinted polyurethane (NIP) layers was studied with focus on the dielectric relaxation signatures of cell membrane entities. The results revealed a relaxation process that was not observed for NIP, which suggests that imprinting transfers lipid molecules from the cell membrane to the polymer layer. Such a process is attributed to the intrinsic lipid dynamics. Therefore we have shown that DRS is a reliable technique for exploring the dynamic and temperature-dependent dielectric relaxation signatures of lipids left during the imprinting on the SIP [2]. In addition, controlling and monitoring the adhesion of cell both under static and dynamic conditions is crucial to different bioengineering and medical applications, such as tissue engineering and biosensors [3]. Currently, most techniques for controlling cell adhesion while monitoring in real-time are limited. In this study, we employ DRS for probing cell-substrate interactions on different surfaces and monitoring their response reversibly as a function of time and physico-chemical properties. [1] R. Ionescu, J. Vlasak, Anal Chem., 82, 3198–3206 (2010). [2] A.Gennaro, D.Yongabi, O.Deschaume, C.Bartic, P.Wagner, M. Wübbenhorst, IEEE-TDEI (2018), accepted. [3] A.A. Khalili, M.R.Ahmad, Int.J.Mol.Sci, 16, 18149-18184 (2015).