Incorporation of Lysine into PNIPAAm to Enhance Protein Adsorption
Mentor Information
Nathan Gallant (College of Engineering)
Description
Improving cell adhesion to poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) polymer is essential to the development of new stimuli- responsive tissue engineering technologies based on PNIPAAm. Cell adhesion to PNIPAAm gels is poor due to minimal protein adsorption. Based on our observation that coating the surface with polylysine enhanced cell adhesion on PNIPAAm gels, we tested the hypothesis that incorporation of lysine-like monomers into the NIPAAM network would enhance protein adsorption. A series of cross-linkable NIPAAm polymers incorporating 0-5% lysine was synthesized. Fibronectin was coupled onto 10 μm carboxylated polystyrene microparticles. The beads were then absorbed on circular glass coverslips coated with the crosslinked PNIPAAm polymer films. The adhesion strength of proteincoated microparticles was quantified using a spinning disk which exposed each disk to a range of hydrodynamic shear stresses. The adhesion experiments were conducted with PNIPAAm polymers in both the solvated and collapsed states.
Incorporation of Lysine into PNIPAAm to Enhance Protein Adsorption
Improving cell adhesion to poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) polymer is essential to the development of new stimuli- responsive tissue engineering technologies based on PNIPAAm. Cell adhesion to PNIPAAm gels is poor due to minimal protein adsorption. Based on our observation that coating the surface with polylysine enhanced cell adhesion on PNIPAAm gels, we tested the hypothesis that incorporation of lysine-like monomers into the NIPAAM network would enhance protein adsorption. A series of cross-linkable NIPAAm polymers incorporating 0-5% lysine was synthesized. Fibronectin was coupled onto 10 μm carboxylated polystyrene microparticles. The beads were then absorbed on circular glass coverslips coated with the crosslinked PNIPAAm polymer films. The adhesion strength of proteincoated microparticles was quantified using a spinning disk which exposed each disk to a range of hydrodynamic shear stresses. The adhesion experiments were conducted with PNIPAAm polymers in both the solvated and collapsed states.
