Controlled metal crumpling as an alternative to folding for the fabrication of nanopatterned meta-biomaterials

We designed and fabricated a simple setup for the controlled crumpling of nanopatterned, surface-porous flat metallic sheets for the fabrication of volume-porous biomaterials and showed that crumpling can be considered as an efficient alternative to origami-inspired folding. Before crumpling, laser cutting was used to introduce pores to the...

Fluidic Force Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy Unveil New Insights into the Interactions of Preosteoblasts with 3D-Printed Submicron Patterns

Physical patterns represent potential surface cues for promoting osteogenic differentiation of stem cells and improving osseointegration of orthopedic implants. Understanding the early cell–surface interactions and their effects on late cellular functions is essential for a rational design of such topographies, yet still elusive. In this work...

Bioprinting of a Zonal-Specific Cell Density Scaffold: A Biomimetic Approach for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

The treatment of articular cartilage defects remains a significant clinical challenge. This is partially due to current tissue engineering strategies failing to recapitulate native organization. Articular cartilage is a graded tissue with three layers exhibiting different cell densities: the superficial zone having the highest density and the...

3D-Printed Submicron Patterns Reveal the Interrelation between Cell Adhesion, Cell Mechanics, and Osteogenesis

The surface topography of implantable devices is of crucial importance for guiding the cascade of events that starts from the initial contact of the cells with the surface and continues until the complete integration of the device in its immediate environment. There is, however, limited quantitative information available regarding the...

On the Use of Black Ti as a Bone Substituting Biomaterial: Behind the Scenes of Dual-Functionality

Despite the potential of small-scale pillars of black titanium (bTi) for killing the bacteria and directing the fate of stem cells, not much is known about the effects of the pillars’ design parameters on their biological properties. Here, three distinct bTi surfaces are designed and fabricated through dry etching of the titanium, each...

3D Printing of large areas of highly ordered submicron patterns for modulating cell behavior

Fabricating large areas of geometrically complex and precisely controlled topographies is required for the studies of cell behavior on patterned surfaces. Direct laser writing (DLW) is an advanced 3D-fabrication technique, which facilitates the manufacturing of structures within various scales (from a few hundred nanometers to millimeters)....