Neurons on Parafilm: Versatile elastic substrates for neuronal cell cultures

A variety of materials has been applied to neuronal cell culture substrates to improve the efficiency of the culture and to provide pertinent cell growth environment. Here we report the application of Parafilm® M (‘Parafilm’) as a novel substrate for neuronal culture and patterning. Cell culture results show that elastic Parafilm had effects on cell viability, length and number of neurites, and soma spreading. Parafilm was also an effective substrate to obtain patterned neuronal cultures using a conventional micro-contract printing (μCP) technique. Polylysine micropatterns in line or grid forms were readily transferred from PDMS stamp to bare Parafilm surfaces and spatially confined neuronal cultures were successfully maintained for over three weeks. We also demonstrate that batch-processing cell culture substrates can be easily fabricated using a piece of Parafilm. The softness, plasticity, and hydrophobicity were main features that made it attractive for Parafilm to be considered as a practical cell culture platform. The results can be extended to develop an inexpensive and practical neuronal culture substrates in tissue engineering and biochip applications.

► We apply the Parafilm as a neuronal culture, patterning and biochip substrate.
► Parafilm surfaces were readily modifiable with cell adhesion molecule or polymer.
► Elastic properties of the Parafilm improve neuron viability and development.
► Hydrophobicity of bare-Parafilm surfaces makes the high quality of neural patterning.
► A simple biochip platform can be fabricated by simple processing.