Michael J. Higgins: Probing Cell-Material Interactions, One Molecule at a Time

Probing Cell-Material Interactions, One Molecule at a Time.

¹ ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES ) Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, AIIM Facility, Innovation Campus, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia Email: mhiggins@uow.edu.au

Abstract Complex surfaces and materials, including polymers and biomaterials, show heterogeneous properties on the nanoscale yet the effects of their interactions with cell surface molecules distributed on an equivalent length scale are not clear. For example, the bulk chemistry or modulus of a composite polymer do not adequately describe the local single chain properties, such as density of cross-links or functional groups (e.g. methacrylate or peptide), which may have significant effects on binding to a neighboring cell receptor (e.g. integrin). Here, we will present approaches based on Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), including Single Molecule and Cell Force Spectroscopy and High-Speed AFM, used to probe single molecule dynamics, interactions and forces at material interfaces. We highlight the direct visualization of single protein adsorption on polymer surfaces, as well as single cell adhesion to hydrogels on a molecular level.

Bio Assoc. Prof. Higgins is an ARC Australian Research Fellow at the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Australia. He is Chief Investigator on both the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science and ARC Transformational Industrial Research Hub. His research interest is electromaterials, nanomaterials, biomaterials, biointerfaces, coatings, and characterization using scanning probe microscopy to understand nanoscale properties and molecular interactions between biological systems and materials.