Chapter 7: Micro- and Nanopatterned Substrates for Studies on the Mechanobiology of Cell–Matrix Adhesions

The cell microenvironment acts as an adhesive and signaling platform for cells, where both chemical and physical signals are integrated to trigger cell functions. Materials that recapitulate such features of the extracellular space are inspired by the composition and structure of the extracellular matrix. A great effort over the past decades has been directed to achieving micro- and nanoscale precision in mimicking the extracellular matrix spatial organization, while combining it with the presentation of specific ligands to study receptor behavior and signaling cascades. In this chapter, we outline materials-based strategies combined with mechanobiological approaches for patterning extracellular molecules and ligands and describe how their spatial presentation allows us to address mechanosensing and mechanotransduction in cells.