Cell growth and survival is crictialy dependent on cell substrate interactions. The cell must be able to adhere to the substate with ligand-recpetor binding pairs. The strength of the cell's attachment to a surface can be seen in the degree to which a cell spreads on the surface. Studies have shown that a surface modified by a peptide containing RGD (Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic Acid) promotes cell adhesion. The first image is of a cell on a surface without RGD, the cells in the second image have spread nicely on the engineered RGD surface.

Working in calaboration with Prof. Shapiro in the Dental School and Prof. Ducheyne of Bio-Enigneering, we are investigating the ability of RGD to bind human osteoblast cells to a modified silicon surface. Human osteoblast cells have proven to be difficult to grow, it is hoped that this new approach will prove effective. Scanning Electronic Microscopy, SEM, and Atomic Force Microscope, AFM, are used to characterize the shape of the speading cells on the engineered surface.

Post-doc: Bi-min Zhang Newby