Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41849440›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

Accessible and cost-effective methods for patterning cell monolayers on compliant substrates.

Molly McCord, Aimal H Khankhel, Katherine Kafkis, Griffin Radtke, Sinan Candan, Hareesh Ashok Kumar, Pieter Derksen, Michelle Tam, Kaiyan Zhou, Markus W Merk and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Molly McCordDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
Aimal H KhankhelInterdisciplinary Program in Quantitative Biosciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America.
Katherine KafkisDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
Griffin RadtkeDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9841-396X
Sinan CandanDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
Hareesh Ashok KumarDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
Pieter DerksenDepartment of Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8679-1745
Michelle TamInterdisciplinary Program in Quantitative Biosciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America.
Kaiyan ZhouDepartment of Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America.
Markus W MerkInterdisciplinary Program in Quantitative Biosciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America.
Christian FranckDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
Sebastian J StreichanInterdisciplinary Program in Quantitative Biosciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America.
Jacob NotbohmDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9836-4982

Funding

Physics of Living Matter: From Molecule to Embryo.R35GM138203 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA · PI Sebastian J Streichan · 2020 to 2026
$2.7M
Revealing forces driving collective cell migrationR35GM151171 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI Jacob K Notbohm · 2023 to 2026
$1.5M
NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM138203NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM151171
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Micropatterning is a versatile technique for confining single cells and cell monolayers to a particular size or shape. The resulting geometrical confinement is one means of controlling migration, differentiation, and force generation. As such, micropatterning is a valuable tool for studying the principles governing collective cell behavior, tissue morphogenesis, and other questions in mechanobiology. Here, we present two detailed and accessible protocols for micropatterning cell monolayers onto compliant substrates made of a polyacrylamide hydrogel and a polydimethylsiloxane elastomer. These protocols require minimal specialized equipment, making them broadly accessible. We validate the fidelity of our protocols across a range of confinement geometries. Furthermore, we demonstrate an example application of our hydrogel protocol to traction force microscopy, which allows for investigating effects of geometric confinement on cell-generated forces. Together, these protocols provide detailed, reproducible tools to support the widespread application of micropatterning in studies of mechanobiology and collective cell dynamics.

Indexed as

Cell Culture TechniquesAcrylic ResinsAnimalsCost-Benefit AnalysisDimethylpolysiloxanesHumansHydrogelsMicroscopy, Atomic ForcePolyacrylamidesAcrylic ResinsbaysilonDimethylpolysiloxanesHydrogelsPolyacrylamides

Identifiers

PMID41849440
PMCPMC12998803

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.