Dimension-Controllable Microtube Arrays by Dynamic Holographic Processing as 3D Yeast Culture Scaffolds for Asymmetrical Growth Regulation

Abstract

Transparent microtubes can function as unique cell culture scaffolds, because the tubular 3D microenvironment they provide is very similar to the narrow space of capillaries in vivo. However, how to realize the fabrication of microtube-arrays with variable cross-section dynamically remains challenging. Here, a dynamic holographic processing method for producing high aspect ratio (≈20) microtubes with tunable outside diameter (6-16 µm) and inside diameter (1-10 µm) as yeast culture scaffolds is reported. A ring-structure Bessel beam is modulated from a typical Gaussian-distributed femtosecond laser beam by a spatial light modulator. By combining the axial scanning of the focused beam and the dynamic display of holograms, dimension-controllable microtube arrays (straight, conical, and drum-shape) are rapidly produced by two-photon polymerization. The outside and inside diameters, tube heights, and spatial arrangements are readily tuned by loading different computer-generated holograms and changing the processing parameters. The transparent microtube array as a nontrivial tool for capturing and culturing the budding yeasts reveals the significant effect of tube diameter on budding characteristics. In particular, the conical tube with the inside diameter varying from 5 to 10 µm has remarkable asymmetrical regulation on the growth trend of captured yeasts.

Keywords: 3D cell culture; Bessel beam; budding yeast; dynamic holographic processing; polymer-microtube-arrays.