於過往神經細胞的體外培養，通常是需要事先被覆適合的分子在培養基板上，以幫助神經細胞貼附生長。因此，利用微壓印技術先在培養基板轉印出特定分子圖案，再投入神經細胞，就能夠侷限神經細胞只貼附在培養基板的特定分子圖案區域，之後神經突起生長也必須遵循此圖案形式。然而，這樣的方法不能避免大面積的神經聚集團出現在圖案上，破壞生長形式的規則與完整性。因此，在本實驗中，我們發展一個方法學，試圖去控制細胞本體只座落在圖案的特定位置上，進而生長成神經網路，並且使大面積神經聚集團的出現機率降低。
利用光學顯影技術製作一系列不同規格大小的微米等級的模仁，再由這些模仁翻製出我們所需的PDMS模板。此模板頂部具有64個圓孔，以8 × 8陣列形式排列，底部則為8 × 8方形網狀溝槽，上下相通，將PDMS模板貼附到玻片，加入poly-L-lysine (PLL)使其流入孔洞而在玻片上建立方形網狀圖案。投入細胞後，透過PDMS模板侷限神經細胞只能掉落在特定的位置上，並沿著PLL圖案生長形成神經網路。藉由此方法學的建立，我們將能夠利用活體影像觀察、免疫螢光染色以及電生理紀錄去研究神經網路的發展，最終可以與微電極陣列結合應用，進而去了解神經網路對於各種形式的訊號輸入所產生的反應。

曾煥昌 (2005) 利用微接觸壓印方式分離皮質神經生長錐結構，並探討微圖案培養時細胞聚集現象之成因。國立清華大學分子醫學研究所碩士論文

何顗琤 (2005) 以微轉印及微模板技術建立神經細胞陣列。國立清華大學奈米工程與微系統研究所碩士論文

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