Analysis of calcium transients and uniaxial contraction force in single human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes on microstructured elastic substrate with spatially controlled surface chemistries

The mechanical activity of cardiomyocytes is the result of a process called excitation contraction coupling (ECC). A membrane depolarization wave induces a transient cytosolic calcium concentration increase that triggers activation calcium-sensitive contractile proteins leading to cell contraction and force generation. An experimental setup capable of acquiring simultaneously all ECC features would have an enormous impact on cardiac drug development and disease study. In this work, we develop a micro-engineered elastomeric substrate with tailor-made surface chemistry to measure simultaneously the uni-axial contraction force and the calcium transients generated by single human cardiomyocytes in vitro. Micro-replication followed by photocuring is used to generate an array consisting of elastomeric micropillars. A second photochemical process is employed to spatially control the surface chemistry of the elastomeric pillar. As result, human embryonic stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) can be confined...