Regulating Cell Orientation Using a Femtosecond Laser-Induced Macro Stripe Design on Metallic Culture Surfaces with Laser-Treated and Mirrored Areas

Controlling cell orientation is of paramount importance in bioengineering processes. While several surface modification techniques have emerged to guide cell orientation, they often involve complex, repetitive procedures for each experiment. Thus, a streamlined approach for cell orientation is necessary. In this study, we present a potentially reusable metallic culture surface that induces an anisotropic cell orientation due to its unique geometric morphology. Using a femtosecond laser, periodic nanostructures were produced on the metallic culture surface, resulting in a distinctive macro stripe design composed of both laser-treated and mirrored areas. Myoblast cells cultured on this surface showed a pronounced orientation. The macro stripe design provided stronger control of cell orientation compared to the simple laser-treated surface with periodic nanostructures. Initial random cell adherence was followed by migration toward the mirror surface, culminating in the desired orientation. This shift can be attributed to the mirrored areas providing superior cell adhesion and reduced wettability compared to the laser-treated areas. This innovative culture surface has significant potential for advancing bioengineering endeavors, especially in the field of tissue engineering.