A method for patterning cells on a substrate by depositing a liquid comprising a cell adhesion material in a predefined pattern having submicron features, comprising the steps of: (a) placing a liquid to be deposited into a multi-barreled nanopipette having (i) a first barrel containing a first electrode arranged to be in contact with a liquid in the first barrel; (ii) a second barrel adjacent the first barrel containing a second electrode arranged to be in contact with a liquid in the second barrel; and (iii) an amplifier connected to said first electrode for controlling a voltage between said first and second electrodes; (b) actuating an xyz controller attached to said multi-barreled nanopipette for effecting mechanical movements of the multi-barreled nanopipette in submicron x and y steps, and effecting movement of said multi-barreled nanopipette in a z direction towards or away from the substrate, said xyz controller further having electronic controls for controlling said mechanical movements according to user defined control and said xyz controller being controlled by use of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) programmed for said depositing in said predefined pattern; and (c) using a circuit for controlling voltage between said first electrode and said second electrode and for applying an ejection voltage to said first electrode to eject liquid from the first barrel at a desired location where liquid in said nanopipette is to be ejected and switching from said ejection voltage to a bias voltage when the xyz controller effects mechanical movement of the nanopipette away from the desired location, wherein the circuit comprises a relay for switching between said ejection voltage and said bias voltage, whereby said liquid comprising said cell adhesion material is deposited in said predetermined pattern for patterning cells on the substrate and allowing attachment of cells on the substrate only at areas of deposited cell adhesion material. (a) placing a liquid to be deposited into a multi-barreled nanopipette having (i) a first barrel containing a first electrode arranged to be in contact with a liquid in the first barrel; (ii) a second barrel adjacent the first barrel containing a second electrode arranged to be in contact with a liquid in the second barrel; and (iii) an amplifier connected to said first electrode for controlling a voltage between said first and second electrodes; (i) a first barrel containing a first electrode arranged to be in contact with a liquid in the first barrel; (ii) a second barrel adjacent the first barrel containing a second electrode arranged to be in contact with a liquid in the second barrel; and (iii) an amplifier connected to said first electrode for controlling a voltage between said first and second electrodes; (b) actuating an xyz controller attached to said multi-barreled nanopipette for effecting mechanical movements of the multi-barreled nanopipette in submicron x and y steps, and effecting movement of said multi-barreled nanopipette in a z direction towards or away from the substrate, said xyz controller further having electronic controls for controlling said mechanical movements according to user defined control and said xyz controller being controlled by use of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) programmed for said depositing in said predefined pattern; and (c) using a circuit for controlling voltage between said first electrode and said second electrode and for applying an ejection voltage to said first electrode to eject liquid from the first barrel at a desired location where liquid in said nanopipette is to be ejected and switching from said ejection voltage to a bias voltage when the xyz controller effects mechanical movement of the nanopipette away from the desired location, wherein the circuit comprises a relay for switching between said ejection voltage and said bias voltage, whereby said liquid comprising said cell adhesion material is deposited in said predetermined pattern for patterning cells on the substrate and allowing attachment of cells on the substrate only at areas of deposited cell adhesion material.