Complex Stiffness Gradient Substrates for Studying Mechanotactic Cell Migration (Adv. Mater. 45/2012)

Complex stiffness gradient substrates for the study of mechanotactic cell migration are developed by Easan Sivaniah, Kristian Franze, and co‐workers on page 6059 . Polyacrylamide gels are cast upon a stiff support with controlled topography, resulting in a thin gel layer of variable height. The topographical profiles project a stiffness map onto the gel, resulting in controlled linear and non‐linear 2D stiffness gradients. Fibroblasts, which migrate towards stiffer substrates, accumulate in areas with a gel thickness below 15 μm.