Electroactive Monolayer Substrates that Selectively Release Adherent Cells

A dynamic substrate that can selectively release immobilized ligands—even when multiple ligands are presented—has been prepared. These substrates can regulate, in real-time, specific receptor–ligand interactions between a cell and the substrate to which it is attached. The picture shows that, after treatment, the dynamic substrate (right) has no cells attached to the surface, while the control surface (left) is still evenly covered with attached cells. This method provides a new approach to investigate the chemical biology of cell adhesion and migration.