Optimizing keratin coatings on cell culture substrates

• Main Author: Wong, Shu Zhen.
• Other Authors: School of Materials Science and Engineering
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/51496
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Synthetic and biological polymers are widely used in tissue engineering but they each lack in an area necessary for effective tissue engineering. Physically and chemically coating synthetic polymers with biological polymers have emerged as techniques to combine the mechanical properties of synthetic polymers with the bioactivity of biological polymers. Currently, only the physical coating of keratin has been conducted on cell cultures substrates. This study focuses on optimizing the conditions necessary for coating keratins on cell culture substrates and hopes to eventually covalently coat keratins onto cell culture substrates. These conditions include optimizing the concentration of keratin required, length of plasma treatment, and keratin extraction method. Like extracellular matrix proteins, keratin contains amino acid sequences that enhance cell attachment and proliferation. Cells also attach and proliferate better under hydrophilic conditions and rough surfaces. Surface analysis techniques were especially important in characterizing the surfaces for this study. It was found that at 80μg/ml concentrated keratin solution provided the most optimal coating. Longer plasma treatment time also resulted in more hydrophilic and rougher surfaces. Increased hydrophilicity and roughness also proved to bring about more ideal adsorption of keratins on the surface. It was also noticed that the choice of method for keratin extraction might affect the conformation of adsorbed keratin. The results have shown the potential of keratin as a potential biomaterial coating.