PhD Discussions Session

Biochemical responses to cell membrane mechanical remodelling Xarxa Quiroga, Cellular and molecular mechanobiologyIn a range of physiological processes, from extravasation to endocytosis, cells are constantly submitted to morphological changes, which eventually entail plasma membrane reshaping and adaptation. This remodelling could be harnessed by cells to detect and respond to shape changes, enabling mechanosensing mechanisms. However, ... Read more

Biochemical responses to cell membrane mechanical remodelling Xarxa Quiroga, Cellular and molecular mechanobiologyIn a range of physiological processes, from extravasation to endocytosis, cells are constantly submitted to morphological changes, which eventually entail plasma membrane reshaping and adaptation. This remodelling could be harnessed by cells to detect and respond to shape changes, enabling mechanosensing mechanisms. However, ... Read more

Microfluidic device for engineering 3D epithelial monolayers with controlled pressure Nimesh Ramesh, Integrative Cell and Tissue Dynamics The remarkable feature of the epithelial sheets is to form specialized 3D structures suited to their physiological roles, such as highly branched structures in the lungs, drastic shape changes during embryonic development, or self-organizing organoids. These tissues are ... Read more

Development of an in vitro three-dimensional colorectal tumor model for drug screening Gerard Rubí, Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies The majority of morphogenetic and pathological processes are driven by cells responding to the surrounding matrix cues, including matrix composition, architecture, and mechanical properties. Despite the increased evidence of extracellular matrix (ECM) properties, in vitro substitutes still ... Read more

Subjective ratings of emotive stimuli predict the impact of the COVID-19 quarantine on affective states Héctor López Carral, SPECS lab, IBEC The COVID-19 crisis resulted in a large proportion of the world’s population having to employ social distancing measures and self-quarantine. Given that limiting social interaction impacts mental health, we assessed the effects of quarantine on emotive perception ... Read more

Correlating super-resolution microscopy and transmission electron microscopy for nanoparticle characterisation Teodora Andrian, Nanoscopy for nanomedicine group The functionalization of nanoparticles with surface functional moieties is a key strategy to achieve bioactivity and cell targeting in nanomedicine. The interplay between size and ligand number and distribution is crucial for the formulation performance and needs to be ... Read more

Ignasi Granero, Celular and molecular mechanobiology group In eukaryotic cells, the cell nucleus contains the DNA and directs the reaction to important signalling cascades, both biochemical and biomechanical. At the Cellular and Molecular Mechanobiology lab we study how forces and the physical characteristics of the cell environment affect cell behaviour and homeostasis. In my case, ... Read more

Assessment of trunk function in patients with spinal cord injury using electromyography and smartphone accelerometry Yolanda Castillo, Biomedical Signal Processing and Interpretation Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes motor and sensory impairment below the level of the injury, but also many other health problems. A common consequence of SCI is the lack of control over trunk ... Read more

Investigating Pathological Extracellular Matrix Architecture The composition and architecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and their dynamic alterations, play an important regulatory role on numerous cellular processes. Furthermore, structural and biochemical properties of the ECM are central in regulating cell behavior via mechanical, chemical and topological cues detected by receptors in the cell membrane which ... Read more

Biomechanics of the progression of colorectal carcinomas Giulia Fornabaio, Synthetic morphogenesis group According to the World Health Organization, cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide, with colorectal carcinoma (CRC) being the second-leading cause of tumour related-death. The high rate of mortality of CRCs is principally attributed to the metastasis of neoplastic cells ... Read more