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Abstract

Conventional dishes and plates do not induce adhesion of non-adherent eukaryotic cells and microorganisms. When animal/human cells are cultured in a Petri dish the adherent cells attach to the bottom of the dish, whereas the non-adherent cells float in the growing medium. Less than 50% of the microorganisms are culturable using conventional techniques. Currently there are no specialized dishes for culturing non-adherent cells or microorganisms. A method to induce adhesion of non-adherent eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells involves use of engravings on plastic or metal surfaces (Biosimulator). The engravings also induce proliferation of microorganisms. The non-adherent cells and microorganisms show polarity when cultured in the engraved plate. The polarity/pattern formation could be reversed with inhibitors specific for adhesion proteins. Induction of adherence and proliferation on an engraved surface has wide applications in cell and developmental biology, diagnostics, microbiome identification, biofluidics, drug discovery, industrial production of biological products, and also in biotechnology and bioengineering.

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First Claim