My project focuses on developing a protein-based chemical hydrogel for regenerative medicine applications in the brain. Using photolithography, a technique adopted from the electronics industry, we aim to pattern a biomaterial scaffold that mimics the natural architecture of the tissue environment. We hypothesize that a structured hydrogel which spatiallly organizes nerve cells and blood vessel cells as found in the body will enhance tissue engineering therapies for stroke patients. This patterning technique can also be utilized for fundamental studies of cell-cell interaction.