Work

In Situ Mechanical Interferometry of Matrigel Films

Year: 2008

Type: article

Abstract: Many biological materials and cell substrates are very soft (Young's modulus <500 Pa) and it is difficult to characterize their mechanical properties. Here we report local elasticity of the surface layers of Matrigel films used for cell culture. We used a new measurement technology, mechanical imaging interferometry, to obtain point mechanical measurements over micron-sized areas. The median values of 650 +/- 400 Pa (# measurements, n = 50), determined by the Hertz contact model, agree well with bulk measurements; however, on the microscale, the films were heterogeneous and contained regions distinctly stiffer than average (1-2 kPa). The first measurement of yield strengths of 170 +/- 100 Pa (n = 43) indicates that Matrigel films deform plastically at stress levels of similar scale to cell tractional forces.

Source: Langmuir

DOI: 10.1021/la8033098

Authors: Jason Reed, Wanda J. Walczak, Odessa N. Petzold, James K. Gimzewski

Institutions: Corning (United States), California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics

Language: English

Topic: Cellular Mechanics and Interactions

Subfield: Cell Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Award: Nano mirrors for high throughput cell motion analysis