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UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW

Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering
Home > Departments > Electronic & Electrical Engineering > NanoBiology (Cell Engineering)

Research programmes

The main aim of the research is to produce materials for biological and biomedical applications. This is achieved through topographical and chemical patterning. The physical properties of the new materials are characterised using an array of techiques such as electron and atomic force microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and neutron reflectivity.


The research is divided into the following research areas:

Micro- and nanolithography

The research of the group is underpinned by the state-of-the-art facilities offered in the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre (JWNC). Here we use a combination of photolithography, electron beam lithography and imprint lithography. We have developed a number of technologies which are particularily aimed at biological applications

Key publications:
  • Gadegaard, N., McCloy, D. "Direct stamp fabrication for NIL and hot embossing using HSQ". Microelectronic Engineering, 84,p 2785-2789 (2007).
  • Gadegaard, N., Dalby, M. J., Martines, E., Seunarine, K., Riehle, M. O., Curtis, A. S. G., Wilkinson, C. D. W. "Nano patterned surfaces for biomaterial applications". Advances in Science and Technology, 53,p 107-115 (2006).
  • Gadegaard, N., Thoms, S., Macintyre, D. S., McGhee, K., Gallagher, J., Casey, B., Wilkinson, C. D. W. "Arrays of nano-dots for cellular engineering". Microelectronic Engineering, 67-8,p 162-168 (2003).
  • Gadegaard, N., Mosler, S., Larsen, N. B. "Biomimetic polymer nanostructures by injection molding". Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, 288(1),p 76-83 (2003).

3D constructs for tissue engineering

We are developing methods and protocols to make scaffolds to support cells in three dimensions. Here we are specifically interested in combining our knowledge of cell behaviour on micro- and nanostructured surfaces with an all lithographic approach.

Key publications:
  • Seunarine, K., Tormen, M., Gadegaard, N., Riehle, M., Wilkinson, C. D. W., Businaro, L., Romanato, F. "Progress towards tubes with regular nanopatterned inner surfaces". Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, 24(6),p 3258-3262 (2006).
  • Seunarine, K., Gadegaard, N., Tormen, M., O Meredith, D., O Riehle, M., Wilkinson, C. D. W. "3D polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering". Nanomedicine, 1(3),p 281-296 (2006).
  • Gadegaard, N., Dalby, M. J., Riehle, M. O., Curtis, A. S. G., Affrossman, S. "Tubes with controllable internal nanotopography". Advanced Materials, 16(20),p 1857-+ (2004).

Topographical control of stem cell differentiation

We have recently discovered that certain types of nanotopographies can be used to control the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.

Key publications:
  • Dalby, M. J., Gadegaard, N., Tare, R., Andar, A., Riehle, M. O., Herzyk, P., Wilkinson, C. D. W., Oreffo, R. O. C. "The control of human mesenchymal cell differentiation using nanoscale symmetry and disorder". Nature Materials, 6,p 997-1003 (2007).
  • Hart, A., Gadegaard, N., Wilkinson, C. D. W., Oreffo, R. O. C., Dalby, M. J. "Osteoprogenitor response to low-adhesion nanotopographies originally fabricated by electron beam lithography". Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Medicine, 18(6),p 1211-1218 (2007).
  • Dalby, Matthew J; Gadegaard, Nikolaj; G. Curtis, Adam S; C. Oreffo, Richard O., " Nanotopographical Control of Human Osteoprogenitor Differentiation", Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 2(2) p. 129-138 (2007)

Cell control and response

Over the years we have shown that different cell types show strong responses to micro- and nanotopographies. The key analysis techniques includes microscopy and genomic characterisation through microarrays.

Key publications:
  • Dalby, M. J., Gadegaard, N., Herzyk, P., Agheli, H., Sutherland, D. S., Wilkinson, C. D. W. "Group analysis of regulation of fibroblast genome on low-adhesion nanostructures". Biomaterials, 28(10),p 1761-1769 (2007).
  • Biggs, M. J. P., Richards, R. G., Gadegaard, N., Wilkinson, C. D. W., Dalby, M. J. "Regulation of implant surface cell adhesion: Characterization and quantification of S-phase primary osteoblast adhesions on biomimetic nanoscale substrates". Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 25(2),p 273-282 (2007).
  • Curtis, A. S. G., Gadegaard, N., Dalby, M. J., Riehle, M. O., Wilkinson, C. D. W., Aitchison, G. "Cells react to nanoscale order and symmetry in their surroundings". Ieee Transactions on Nanobioscience, 3(1),p 61-65 (2004).
  • Dalby, M. J., Gadegaard, N., Riehle, M. O., Wilkinson, C. D. W., Curtis, A. S. G. "Investigating filopodia sensing using arrays of defined nano-pits down to 35 nm diameter in size". International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, 36(10),p 2005-2015 (2004).

Chemical patterning and coatings

Here we are interested in both producing chemical patterns similar to that of our topographies and well defined coatings. Patterning is carried by microcontact printing and electron beam lithography.

Key publications:
  • Nikolaj Gadegaard, Xinyong Chen, Frank J.M. Rutten and Morgan R. Alexander, “High energy electron beam lithography of octadecyl phosphonic acid monolayers on aluminium”, Langmuir, 24(5),p 2057-2063 (2008).
  • de la Fuente, J. M., Andar, A., Gadegaard, N., Berry, C. C., Kingshott, P., Riehle, M. O. "Fluorescent aromatic platforms for cell patterning". Langmuir, 22(13),p 5528-5532 (2006).
  • Kingshott, P., Wei, J., Bagge-Ravn, D., Gadegaard, N., Gram, L. "Covalent attachment of poly(ethylene glycol) to surfaces, critical for reducing bacterial adhesion". Langmuir, 19(17),p 6912-6921 (2003).
  • Papra, A., Gadegaard, N., Larsen, N. B. "Characterization of ultrathin poly(ethylene glycol) monolayers on silicon substrates". Langmuir, 17(5),p 1457-1460 (2001).

New materials

New materials are produced using the combination of top-down and bottom-up.

Key publications:
  • Yu-Fei Song, Nicola McMillan, De-Liang Long, Johannes Thiel, Yulong Ding, Haisheng Chen, Nikolaj Gadegaard, and Leroy Cronin, "Design of Hydrophobic Polyoxometalate Hybrid Assemblies Beyond Surfactant Encapsulation", Chem. Eur. J., 14(8),p 2349-2354 (2008).
  • McMillan, N., Smith, L. V., de la Fuente, J. M., Parenty, A. D. C., Gadegaard, N., Pitt, A. R., Thomson, K., MacKenzie, C., Kelly, S. M., Cronin, L. "Incorporation of N-heterocyclic cations into proteins with a highly directed chemical modification". Chemical Communications, (25),p 2581-2583 (2007).
  • Song, Y. F., Abbas, H., Ritchie, C., McMillian, N., Long, D. L., Gadegaard, N., Cronin, L. "From polyoxometalate building blocks to polymers and materials: the silver connection". Journal of Materials Chemistry, 17(19),p 1903-1908 (2007).
  • C Flemming, D-L Long, N McMillan, J Johnston, N Bovet, V Dhanak, N Gadegaard P Kogerler, L Cronin and M Kadodwala, “Reversible electron-transfer reactions within a nanoscale metal oxide cage mediated by metallic substrates”, Nature Nanotechnology, 3,p 229-233 (2008).

Surface and interface analysis

It is pivotal that the materials we fabricate are characterised both topographically and chemically. We use a broad range of techniques such as electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, water contact angle, XPS, SIMS and neutron reflectivity.

Key publications:
  • Bovet, N., McMillan, N., Gadegaard, N., Kadodwala, M. "Supramolecular assembly facilitating adsorbate-induced chiral electronic states in a metal surface". Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 111(33),p 10005-10011 (2007).
  • Martines, E., Seunarine, K., Morgan, H., Gadegaard, N., Wilkinson, C. D. W., Riehle, M. O. "Air-trapping on biocompatible nanopatterns". Langmuir, 22(26),p 11230-11233 (2006).
  • Gadegaard, N. "Atomic force microscopy in biology: technology and techniques". Biotechnic & Histochemistry, 81(2-3),p 87-97 (2006).
  • Martines, E., Seunarine, K., Morgan, H., Gadegaard, N., Wilkinson, C. D. W., Riehle, M. O. "Superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity of regular nanopatterns". Nano Letters, 5(10),p 2097-2103 (2005).
  • Cooper, J. M., Cubitt, R., Dalgliesh, R. M., Gadegaard, N., Glidle, A., Hillman, A. R., Mortimer, R. J., Ryder, K. S., Smith, E. L. "Dynamic in situ electrochemical neutron reflectivity measurements". Journal of the American Chemical Society, 126(47),p 15362-15363 (2004).