MICROCARRIER SURFACE DESIGN: AN ENGINEERING APPROACH

WELL KNOWN SUSPENSION POLYMERIZATION METHODS WILL BE ADAPTED IN A NOVEL WAY TO PRODUCE MICROCARRIERS WITH DESIRED SURFACE CHEMISTRY. THE PROPOSED METHOD WILL OFFER THE FLEXIBILITY OF INCORPORATING SPECIFIC CHEMICAL FUNCTIONALITIES AND/OR ATTACHMENT AIDS OR GROWTH FACTORS INTO THE MICROCARRIER SURFACE, THEREBY APPROXIMATING IN VITRO CONDITIONS. THE EFFECT OF THE ENGINEERED MICROCARRIERSURFACE ON THE GROWTH OF A TRANSFORMED NEURONAL CELL LINE WILL BE DETERMINED AND COMPARED TO COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE MICROCARRIERS. IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS RESEARCH WILL LEAD TO AN EXTENSIVE PHASE II RESEARCH PROGRAM IN WHICH MICROCARRIERS WILL BE PREPARED WITH ALTERNATIVE SURFACES TO AID THE ATTACHMENT AND GROWTH OF OTHER CLINICALLY AND INDUSTRIALLY IMPORTANT CELL LINES. THE LONG TERM GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO DEVELOP SUBSTRATES FOR THE EFFICIENT GROWTH, MAINTENANCE AND PRODUCTION OF ANY CELL LINE THROUGH SURFACE ENGINEERING.