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. 2023 Apr 7;9(14):eadd1581. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.add1581

Fig. 1. Biomimetic substrates with controlled topographic noise.

Fig. 1.

(A) ECM fiber organization in different regions of the human dermis (left, SEM images). The ECM anisotropy is reproduced by rationally designed substrates featuring different levels of topographic noise (right, SEM images). Scale bar, 10 μm. (B) Fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis of the fiber arrangement (red) and corresponding substrates rendering similar degree of topographic noise (blue). (C) Identification of the two topographical subunits, groove and ridge from the perfectly anisotropic substrate, and insertion of groove defects yielding controllable noise levels. (D) Schematic of the experimental substrates presenting a spatial gradient of topographic noise, from 0% (perfectly anisotropic) to 100% (flat). (E) SEM images of epithelial cells (MDCK) interacting with different regions of topographic noise. Scale bar, 20 μm.