A variety of different types of surfaces (or interfaces) exist in biology.  For example, the surface of a biomaterial is the interface between that biomaterial and the biological environment.   State-of-the-art instrument, experimental protocols, and data analysis methods are needed to obtain detailed information about the surface structures and compositions, as well as that of the biomolecules that attach to those surfaces.  Surface analysis tools such as imaging time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) can provide images of polymer biomaterials, cells and tissues with chemical and molecular specificity.  These chemically specific images could revolutionize our understanding of biological processes such as the role of changes in tumor metabolism affecting the response to chemotherapy is under scrutiny.  However, since many biomaterials (e.g. porous polymer scaffolds), cells and tissues are three-dimensional constructs, it is of interest to be able to characterize their chemical composition in 3D. However, it is challenging to characterize these topographically complex materials.  With the use of gas cluster ion beams (GCIBs) ToF-SIMS can attain very fine z-resolution (&lt;10 nm) in-depth profiles.  In this presentation, ToF-SIMS analysis of biological samples from 2D images of tissues to 3D images of explanted porous scaffolds will be presented.

Can surface science help explain biology?

2019 Fall National Meeting

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