DEVICE FOR MONITORING AND CONTROLLING CELLULAR GROWTH
The present disclosure is drawn to a device for monitoring and controlling live cells and associated methods. In an example, the device can include a plurality of elongated nanostructures affixed to a substrate. The elongated nanostructures can each have an attachment end and a free end opposite the attachment end. The free end includes a metal and the attachment end is affixed to the substrate. The device can further include a functionalization layer that is coated on the free end of at least a portion of the plurality of elongated nanostructures. The functionalization layer can be formulated to retain live cells, and the device can be configured to be used in conjunction with a detector, such as a Raman spectrometer, in order to monitor growth of live cells.
1 . A device for monitoring and controlling cellular growth, comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of elongated nanostructures, each of the plurality of elongated nanostructures having an attachment end and a free end opposite the attachment end, the free end comprising a metal and the attachment end affixed to the substrate, wherein the metal comprises a multilayer structure of a first metal and a second metal different than the first metal; and
a functionalization layer coated on the free end of at least a portion of the plurality of elongated nanostructures, said functionalization layer formulated to retain live cells,
wherein the device is configured to be used in conjunction with a detector in order to monitor growth of live cells.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the detector is selected from the group of a colorimeter, a reflectometer, a spectrometer, a spectrophotometer, a Raman spectrometer, an optical microscope, and an instrument for measuring luminescence.
3 . A device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elongated nanostructures include columnar structures that are less conductive than the metal.
4 . A device of claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from the group of gold, silver, copper, aluminum, platinum, and combinations thereof.
5 . A device of claim 1 , wherein the functionalization layer includes a peptide functionalized polymer.
6 . A device of claim 5 , wherein the peptide is selected from the group of arginine-glycine-aspartic acid, arginine-glycine-aspartic acid-serine, glycine-arginine-glycine-aspartic acid-serine, and combinations thereof.
7 . A device of claim 1 , wherein the functionalization layer includes a fibronectin, fibrin, laminin, collagen, elastin, or vitronection.
8 . A device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of live cells disposed in the functionalization layer.
9 . A device of claim 8 , wherein the live cells are stem cells.
10 . A device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is in the form of a dish.
11 - 15 . (canceled)
16 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first metal comprises gold and wherein the second metal comprises silver.
17 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the multilayer structure comprises:
a first layer of the first metal, the first layer having a thickness of 10 nm to 100 nm; and
a second layer of the second metal, the second layer having a thickness of 1 nm to 50 nm.
18 . The device of claim 17 , wherein the second layer overlies the first layer.
19 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the metal possesses shape-induced magnetic anisotropy.
20 . The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of elongated nanostructures comprise:
a columnar structure having a first diameter and being less conductive than the metal; and
a metallic cap of the metal on a tip of the columnar structure, the cap having second diameter greater than the first diameter.
21 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elongated nanostructures are sufficiently flexible to permit bending such that tips of the nanostructures meet at the free end of each of the nano structures.
22 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanostructures are submersed in the functionalization layer.
23 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elongated nanostructures are spaced apart along a surface of the substrate by a gap of 20 nm to 500 nm.
24 . A device for monitoring and controlling cellular growth, comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of elongated nanostructures, each of the plurality of elongated nanostructures having an attachment end and a free end opposite the attachment end, the free end comprising a metal and the attachment end affixed to the substrate, wherein the plurality of elongated nanostructures are sufficiently flexible to permit bending such that tips of the nanostructures meet at the free end of each of the nanostructures; and
a functionalization layer coated on the free end of at least a portion of the plurality of elongated nanostructures, said functionalization layer formulated to retain live cells,
wherein the device is configured to be used in conjunction with a detector in order to monitor growth of live cells.
25 . A device for monitoring and controlling cellular growth, comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of elongated nanostructures, each of the plurality of elongated nanostructures having an attachment end and a free end opposite the attachment end, the free end comprising a metal and the attachment end affixed to the substrate, wherein the plurality of elongated nanostructures are sufficiently flexible to permit bending such that tips of the nanostructures meet at the free end of each of the nanostructures, wherein each of the plurality of elongated nanostructures comprise:
a columnar structure having a first diameter and being less conductive than the metal; and
a metallic cap of the metal on a tip of the columnar structure, the cap having second diameter greater than the first diameter; and
a functionalization layer coated on the free end of at least a portion of the plurality of elongated nanostructures, said functionalization layer formulated to retain live cells,
wherein the device is configured to be used in conjunction with a detector in order to monitor growth of live cells.