Peptide and protein printing for tissue regeneration and repair

Arrays of peptides and proteins play an important role in various areas of biomedical and biotechnological research that range from biomarker detection and proteomic screens to drug discovery. Defined arrays of peptides and proteins also facilitate systemic understanding of culturing and studying cells on surfaces. For example, cellular adhesion is a process mediated by the interaction of cell-surface receptors with ligands from the extracellular matrix, which results in the clustering of receptors into focal adhesion complexes. This elaborate and highly regulated process is believed to play a significant role in many essential cellular functions. Most studies involving the signaling of focal adhesion complexes with surface-immobilized proteins have employed defined structures that were conveniently made by conventional microcontact printing.