Bioimprint: Nanoscale Analysis by Replication of Cellular Topography Using Soft Lithography

A new method integrating nanoimprint lithography directly with biological materials to create replica cell impressions in a robust storage medium, has been developed to facilitate topographic analysis using nano-imaging tools. Termed Bioimprint (TM), soft lithography techniques are used to transfer precise cell topography into a non-biohazardous polymeric composite for imaging in harsh probing or electron environments. By creating a permanent biological footprint that is captured in a specific moment of time, a recorded response of cellular events can be kept. The high resolution transfer of this process is detailed by imaging membrane morphological structures consistent with exocytosis, in pituitary cells. The integration of soft lithography and biomaterials presents a novel method for the study and detection of biological systems at the nano-scale.