Seminars Archive

Cellular adhesion and migration on surfaces – insights from x-ray and neutron scattering experiments

Abstract
The behavior of cells is largely influenced by the molecular confirmation of the surface in contact. For a deeper understanding, one would like to understand the physical nature of the cleft, i.e. the narrow space between the plasma membrane and the substrate. Experimentally, this is not easy to achieve since the dimensions are in the sub-micron range. I will show that the combination of x-ray and neutron reflectometry is a promising way to study the structural aspects of this interface. Examples will include model systems such as lipid bilayers, tailored surfaces for stem cell adhesion, and surfaces optimized for cell motility.