Laser-based micro/nanoengineering for biological applications

Controlling the interactions of light with matter is crucial for the success and scalability for materials processing applications at micro and nano-scales. The use of ultrafast pulsed lasers (i.e. lasers emitting pulses of duration shorter than 10–12 s) for the micro/nano engineering of biomaterials or materials relevant to biological applications opens up several exciting possibilities in this respect. These possibilities rely on several attractive features of ultrafast laser–matter interaction processes which allow nanoscale spatial resolution, non-thermal and non-destructive engineering to take place. This article presents a review of novel laser-based techniques for the printing and micro- and nano- scale surface modification of materials for biological applications. Emphasis is placed on techniques appropriate for biochip and tissue engineering applications, for which there is an increasing demand over the last years. Besides presenting recent advances achieved by these techniques, this work also delineates existing limitations and highlights emerging possibilities and future prospects in this field.