Differentiation of neural-type cells on multi-scale ordered collagen-silica bionanocompositesElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Materials and methods. See DOI: 10.1039/c9bm01029g

Cells respond to biophysical and biochemical signals. We developed a composite filament from collagen and silica particles modified to interact with collagen and/or present a laminin epitope (IKVAV) crucial for cell–matrix adhesion and signal transduction. This combines scaffolding and signaling and shows that local tuning of collagen organization enhances cell differentiation.