Mechanobiology of cells and tissues

Zurich Mechanobiology Seminar Series

We organize regular mechanobiology research talks for the ETHZ community with local and external invited speakers. We are working on the program for 2025/2026, with the first seminar likely in October 2025. For more information and to sign-up to the mailing list, check the website.

News

New Research Papers

These are the lastest papers we published (please get in touch if you need full text access)

Lorenza, Giovanni, and Filippo's paper on an injectable hydrogel depot for the clearance of senescent cells was recently published. It tackles the question of how to deliver a hydrophobic senolytic drug for local tissue treatment instead of systemic treatment,. Answer: controlled nanoparticle formation of the drug, packaged into a polymer-nanoparticle hydrogel. Have a look!

Our paper on Tunable bicontinuous macroporous structure was published earlier this year. We demonstrate how photo-polymerization induced phase separation can be leveraged to create hydrogels with micron-sized pores. We show how pore size scales with light intensity. These macroporous gels are better as 3D cell culture scaffolds than nanoporous ones, providing more space for cell spreading and cell migration. Great project, led by Oksana Dudaryeva and Lucien Cousin. Have a look!

With Gabriela Da Silva André, we wrote a short review on the mechanobiology of physical confinement, with a focus on confinement in 3D systems. This is a particularly important topic for understanding tumor spheroids, the impact on growth, transport, molecular exchange and ECM deposition. This was part of a Topical Issue in Biophysical Reivews, following the Nanoengineering for Mechanobiology conference in March 2024. Have a look!

First, a study on the mechanoresponse of fibroblasts to variations in fluid chemical potential imposed by hydrostatic pressure and osmotic stress. Hydrostatic pressure and osmotic pressure can be induced by normal deformation of the dermis (e.g. skin stretching). We show that these induce changes in proliferation potential of fibroblasts, and the responses are conserved but differ in amplitude in 2D and 3D systems. This work was expertly driven by Lorenza Garau Paganella, in collaboration with other groups at ETH, Prof Mazza and Prof Werner. Have a look!

Second topic recently published is on the use of granular hydrogels for the sequestration and release of biomolecules. We call this biomaterial "Bioactive Sponge", because of its capacity to absorb biomolecules (e.g. proteins such as cytokines and growth factors). We show that this granular biomaterial can be used to mitigate pro-inflammatory signaling on one hand, and stimulate pro-angiogenic signaling on another. Team work beautifully driven by Börte Emiroglu & Apoorv Singh among others. Have a look!

We published a Methods paper on how to optimize protein isolation from 3D hydrogels. Have a look:
Da Silva André, Garau Paganella et al., Current Protocols, 4, e966. doi: 10.1002/cpz1.966 (2024)

We wrote a review on Cellular Mechanical Memory, covering the seminal papers and recent findings on the topic. Mechanical memory is about how long term mechanical stresses (such as prolonged culture on supraphysiological stiffness) can lead to a loss in cell plasticity. If you are curious, read more about it here: Dudaryeva et al., ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 9, 11, 5985–5998. doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c01007 (2023)