The ability to control the deposition of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs),
and mESCs encapsulated in 200-μm diameter alginate microbeads, into
customized patterns has recently been achieved using laser direct-write
(LDW). Gelatin-based LDW was utilized to target and reproducibly deposit
groups of cells directly onto receiving substrate surfaces. Live/dead
staining for cell viability and immunocytochemistry for the pluripotency
marker, Oct-4, indicated that transferred mESCs were viable following
transfer, and maintained an important embryonic stem cell marker,
respectively. LDW was further used to print mESCs encapsulated in hydrogel
microbeads into customized patterns on a single-bead basis. Recent efforts
have also achieved patterns of discrete co-cultures of mESCs and breast
cancer cells in separate hydrogel microbeads. Altogether, we demonstrated
the feasibility of LDW to print patterns of mESCs and mESC-microbeads for
the biomimetic assembly of engineered cellular constructs and tissue
models.