Integration of living cells with novel microdevices requires the development of innovative technologies for manipulating cells. Chemical surface patterning has been proven as an effective method to control the attachment and growth of diverse cell populations. Patterning polyelectrolyte multilayers through the combination of layer-by-layer self-assembly technique and photolithography offer a simple, versatile, and silicon compatible approach that overcomes chemical surface patterning limitations, such as short-term stability and low-protein adsorption resistance. In this study, direct photolithographic patterning of two types of multilayers, PAA (poly acrylic acid)IPAAm (poly acryl amide) and PAA/PAH (poly allyl amine hydrochloride), were developed to pattern mammalian neuronal, skeletal, and cardiac muscle cells. For all studied cell types, PAA/PAAm multilayers behaved as a cytophobic surface, completely preventing cell attachment. In contrast, PAA/PAH multilayers have shown a cell-selective behavior, promoting the attachment and growth of neuronal cells (embryonic rat hippocampal and NG 108-15 cells) to a greater extent, while providing little attachment for neonatal rat cardiac and skeletal muscle cells (C2CI2 cell line). PAA/PAAm multilayer cellular patterns have also shown a remarkable protein adsorption resistance. Protein adsorption protocols commonly used for surface treatment in cell culture did not compromise the cell attachment inhibiting feature of the PAA/PAAm multilayer patterns. The combination of polyelectrolyte multilayer patterns with different adsorbed proteins could expand the applicability of this technology to cell types that require specific proteins either on the surface or in the medium for attachment or differentiation, and could not be patterned using the traditional methods. (C) 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 25: 594-603, 2009