# Fabrication of a low-adhesion metallic cell culture surface by nanosecond laser processing

## TL;DR

This study creates a low-adhesion metal surface using laser processing that allows for easy cell detachment without enzymes, useful for cell sheet engineering and sustainable cell harvesting.

## Contribution

A novel low-adhesion metallic cell culture surface is fabricated using nanosecond laser processing for enzyme-free cell detachment.

## Key findings

- Laser-processed titanium surfaces showed reduced cell adhesion compared to polished surfaces.
- Cells on the microstructured surfaces could be detached by pipetting, maintaining cell sheet integrity.
- The developed surface enables on-demand cell detachment without enzymatic treatment.

## Abstract

In this study, we developed a reusable low-adhesion metallic cell culture surface having microscale structures using nanosecond pulsed laser processing. Titanium alloy disks were mirror-polished and laser-processed to create microstructures with a pitch of 15 μm, smaller than typical cell size. The cytocompatibility of the developed surfaces was confirmed, showing comparable viability to standard plastic dishes. On the other hand, the cells on the laser-processed surfaces exhibited suppressed lamellipodia formation and maintained a rounded morphology and the area of adhered cells was significantly inhibited compared to polished surfaces, indicating reduced adhesion. Further, by applying PBS jet flow to the culture surface, it has been demonstrated that the cells on the micro-structured surfaces formed significantly larger detachment zones under PBS jet flow, confirming weakened adhesion strength. Furthermore, intact cell sheets could be detached from the laser-processed surfaces by pipetting, whereas cells on polished surfaces remained adherent. These results suggest that the developed culture surface enables on-demand cell detachment through physical stimuli without enzymatic treatment, maintaining cell–cell junctions and extracellular matrix integrity. This technology offers potential for applications in cell sheet engineering and enzyme-free cell harvesting, contributing to cost-effective and sustainable cell-based applications. Future work should investigate cell proliferation and migration behavior to further validate its utility for industrial tissue engineering platforms.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00449-025-03268-5.