Liquid crystalline collagen: a self-assembled morphology for the orientation of mammalian cells.

We report the creation of collagen films having a cholesteric banding structure with an orientation that can be systematically controlled. The action of hydrodynamic flow and rapid desiccation was used to influence the orientation of collagen fibrils, producing a film with a twisted plywood architecture. Adult human fibroblasts cultured on these substrates orient in the direction of the flow deposition, and filopodia are extended onto individual bands. Atomic force microscopy reveals the assembly of 30 nm collagen fibrils into the uniform cholesteric collagen films with a periodic surface relief. The generation of collagen with a reticular, "basket-weave" morphology when using lower concentrations is also discussed.