IMPROVED MICROPOROUS MEMBRANES FOR MAMMALIAN CELL CULTURE

MICROPOROUS MEMBRANES OFFER RESEARCHERS MANY EXPERIMENTAL ADVANTAGES OVER OTHER CELL CULTURE METHODS. IN ADDITION, CELLS CULTURED ON SUCH MEMBRANES EXHIBIT ENHANCED DIFFERENTIATION AND MANY OTHER PROPERTIES THAT CLOSELY RESEMBLE THOSE OBSERVED IN VIVO. HOWEVER, CURRENTLY THE USE OF SUCH MEMBRANES IS LIMITED TO NONANCHORAGE-DEPENDENT CELLS OR REQUIRES THAT THE MEMBRANES BE COATED WITH AN EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX (ECM), SUCH AS COLLAGEN OR POLY-LYSINE, IN ORDER TO ALLOW ANCHORAGE-DEPENDENT CELL ATTACHMENT AND GROWTH. THIS REQUIREMENT OF AN ECM NEGATES MANY OF THE POSITIVE ASPECTS OFFERED BY USING THESE MEMBRANES. THIS RESEARCH WILL INVESTIGATE THE USE OF LOW-TEMPERATURE PLASMA SURFACE MODIFICATION TO DEVELOP MICROPOROUS MEMBRANESTHAT SUPPORT ANCHORAGE-DEPENDENT, MAMMALIAN CELL CULTURE WITHOUT THE NEED FOR AN ECM COATING.