Biomedical Engineering

Please extend a warm welcome to our newest member of Global Medical Research.org.

Researcher: Chung-Chu Chen
Affiliation: Stanford-Taiwan Biomedical Fellowship Program
Expertise: Mechanical Engineer and Biomedical Engineer
Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/chungchu

Summary:
Chung-Chu Chen received the B.Sc. degree in mechanical engineering from National Taiwan University, Taiwan, in 1994 and the Ph.D. degree in power mechanical engineering from National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan in 1999. He worked at Microsystem Technology Division, ERSO/ITRI, Taiwan, between 2000 and 2002. He held a post doctoral position at Stanford University between 2002 and 2004. He was a visiting researcher in SSIM program at Wayne State University between 2004 and 2006. He worked at Medical Electronics and Device Technology Center, ITRI, Taiwan between 2006 and 2008. He is currently working on a medical device fellowship at Center for Research in Cardiovascular Interventions, Stanford University. His research interests are microfluidic device design, simulation, fabrication and characterization including bio-sensing, cell culturing, cell sorting, micro droplet dispensing as well as other medical applications and he holds 15 related patents.

Specialties:
Design & Simulation: CFD-ACE+ / L-Edit / CoventorWare / MEMSPro / ANSYS / StarCD / AutoCAD / SolidWorks / Goldfire Innovator MEMS: LPCVD / RIE / Plasma Etching / Wet Etching / PECVD / Photolithography / E-beam Evaporator / RF Sputter / Electroplating / Anodic Bonding / Micro Screen Print Characterization & Imaging: SEM / AFM / Optical transmission and reflection spectrometry / Raman spectrometry Optical Laboratory: LDV / Thermal Liquid Crystal Imaging / PIV / High Speed Stroboscope

Papers Published:

Culturing neuron cells on electrode with self-assembly monolayer

Olena Palyvoda a,∗, Chung-Chu Chenb, Gregory W. Auner a,c

a Smart Sensors and Integrated Microsystems (SSIM), Department Electrical and Computer Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, USA
b Medical Electronics and Device Technology Center, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Taiwan, ROC
c Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, USA

Abstract
The success of neuronal implantable microsystems relies on the quality of the interface with neuronal cells. Depending on the application,specifically engineered surfaces may either prevent or enhance cell/tissue growth with an appropriate host response. The surface chemistry andtopography have major effects on the cell adherence and the interaction between the tissue and devices.We report on a simple technique to precisely explant cortical neurons in a serum-free medium on 2D electrode arrays and investigated the padsize effect on neuron cell culture and immobilization.We produced gold patterns on glass substrates using microfabrication processes. 11-Amino-1-undecanethiol self-assembled monolayer was coated only on the gold surface. Cortical neurons were cultured on the arrays to examine the dependence of neuron growth and cells distribution on pad size. We found that the terminal functional groups of the highly oriented 11-amino-1- undecanethiol thin film are essential for generating cell-adhesive areas for the rat cortical neurons. A 50 m×50m SAM pad size was found to be suitable for single cortical neuron immobilization, while the larger pads provide excellent neuron coverage. This technology may enable precise and localized neuron stimulation and surveillance for both biological research and medical applications.

Published:
Biosensors and Bioelectronics 22 (2007) 2346–2350 (Elsevier: Science Direct)

© 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Neural interface; Cortical neuron; Self-assembly monolayer; Cell culturing; Micro-electrode array

Molecular Organization in SAMs Used for Neuronal Cell Growth

Olena Palyvoda,*,† Andrey N. Bordenyuk,§ Achani K. Yatawara,§ Erik McCullen,† Chung-Chu Chen,| Alexander V. Benderskii,§ and Gregory W. Auner†,‡

Smart Sensors and Integrated Microsystems (SSIM), Electrical and Computer Engineering Department,
Biomedical Engineering Department, and Department of Chemistry, Wayne State UniVersity, Detroit,
Michigan 48202, and Medical Electronics and DeVice Technology Center, Industrial Technology Research
Institute, Taiwan, ROC

Abstract:
The attachment of cells onto solid supports is fundamental in the development of advanced biosensors or biochips. In this work, we characterize cortical neuron adhesion, growth, and distribution of an adhesive layer, depending on the molecular structure and composition . Neuronal networks are successfully grown on amino-terminated alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on a gold substrate without adhesion protein interfaces. Neuron adhesion efficiency was studied for amino-terminated, carboxy-terminated, and 1:1 mixed alkanethiol SAMs deposited on gold substrates. Atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to measure the roughness of gold substrate and thickness ofSAMmonolayers. Conformational ordering and ionic content ofSAMswere characterized by vibrational sum frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy. Only pure amino-terminated SAMs provide efficient neuronal cell attachment. Ordering of the terminal amino groups does not affect efficiency of neuron adhesion. VSFG analysis shows that ordering of the terminal groups improves with decreasing surface roughness; however the number of gauche defects in alkane chains is independent of surface roughness. We monitor partial dissociation of carboxy groups in mixed SAMs that implies formation of NH3+ neighbors and appearance of catanionic structure. Such catanionic environment proved inefficient for neuron adhesion. Surface roughness of metal within the 0.7-2 nm range has little effect on the efficiency of neuron adhesion. This approach can be used to create new methods that help map structure property relationships of biohybrid systems.

Available Online:
American Chemical Society Publications