Advantages of Moving Towards 3-D Scaffolds for Cell Culture

As a biologist, little thought is given to the materials which make up the products that we use in our research day-in and day-out. However, it is these materials which form the ‘building block’ or‘scaffold’ of all cell culture research. The intricate detail going into understanding the cellular response is all dependent on the topographical patterns and surface chemistry of the scaffold used to grow these precious cells. Countless studies have shown the importance of choosing the appropriate tissue culture scaffolds: one that mimics the nanofibrous nature of the extracellular matrix for a wide variety of applications including basic cell biology, drug discovery,tissue engineering, cell migration and invasion, and stem cell expansion and differentiation. Cell culture is mainly performed on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) multiwell plates as it is cheap,optically clear, and many cells grow well on it. In reality, however, living organisms are made up of an extracellular matrix that presents both aligned physical structure and support to the cells.