Harnessing enzymatically machined nanoand micro-scale surface topographies for high-throughput separations
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We show how enzymatic activity can be harnessed as a tool to fashion complex nano- And micro-scale surface topographies on biodegradable substrates. Coordinated patterning and machining are accomplished by manipulating interactions between an enzyme, substrate, and protein inhibitor. In this way, we are able to construct nanochannels, microchannels containing embedded features templated by the substrate's crystalline morphology, and a membraneless filter capable of isolating rare cells from whole blood with throughput orders of magnitude greater than currently possible. In addition to enabling molecularly imprinted surface landscapes mimicking those in living systems to be fashioned via a straightforward process accessible in virtually any laboratory, considerable potential exists to exquisitely control the underlying biochemical interactions by employing enzymes and substrates with appropriately engineered properties.