Micropatterning Substrates Using Deep UV Lithography: A Model to Study Host-Pathogen Interactions of A. fumigatus with Adherent Cells.

Coculturing fungal pathogens with epithelial cell monolayers offers a powerful in vitro model for investigating host-pathogen interactions. Recent advances in bioengineering-particularly the use of micropatterned substrates-allow for the spatial confinement of alveolar epithelial cells into densely packed islands that closely resemble the structural organization of the flattened alveolus. This chapter outlines a comprehensive protocol that includes: (1) deep UV lithography for the fabrication of micropatterned glass coverslips, (2) culture of alveolar epithelial cells to generate uniform arrays of cell monolayer islands, and (3) infection with Aspergillus conidia to enable reliable quantification of host-pathogen dynamics.