Final Report Summary - ASMIDIAS (Asymmetric microenvironments by directed assembly: Control of geometry, topography, surface biochemistry and mechanical properties via a microscale modular design principle) The interaction of cells with the extracellular matrix or neighboring cells, which plays a crucial role in many cellular functions, was addressed in this project, in which the role of the currently known determinants for cell-environment interactions (geometry, topography, biochemical functionality and mechanical properties) was addressed in novel 3-D cell microenvironments. In particular, the project addressed the lack in established approaches to fabricate well defined 3D microenvironments, which are asymmetric or in which the mentioned factors can be varied fully independently. The central objective that has been successfully achieved in the 5 year period of ASMIDIAS was the development of novel routes to fabricate asymmetric microenvironments for cell-matrix interaction studies. These approaches are based on functionalized micro-objects that are positioned in space by micromanipulation and spontaneous assembly, respectively. This positioning affords enclosed volumes that are restricted by the walls of the blocks and thereby encapsulate cells for detailed studies. Parallel to these achievements significant progress in the surface modification using polymer brushes has been made in 2D and 3D that enables one to vary in ultrathin substrate-independent coatings the passivation, biochemical signaling and mechanical properties independently and thus in a fully decoupled manner. The unique asymmetric environments obtained in ASMIDIAS will continue to facilitate novel insight into cell-matrix interactions, which possess considerable relevance in the areas of tissue engineering, stem cell differentiation as well as bacteria-surface interactions.
