Seminars > April

Wenesday, April 30, 2025 @ 14h
Institut de Physique de Nice, 17 rue Julien Lauprêtre, 06200 Nice

Massimo Vassalli
James Watt School of Engineering
University of Glasgow
Cellular Mechanobiology Lab
Centre for The Cellular Microenvironment

Exploring the interplay between mechanics and mechanosensing

How do cells translate mechanical cues into meaningful biological responses, and what happens when this process goes awry? In this talk, we examine the dynamic feedback between the physical properties of the cellular microenvironment and the cellular machinery
 responsible for mechanosensing. The seminar includes a case study on visceral smooth muscle myopathies (VSCM), where rare genetic mutations lead to altered force generation, impaired mechanotransduction, and disruption of cellular phenotypes such as YAP/TAZ
 localization and traction force dynamics. We then explore how viscoelasticity of the extracellular matrix shapes mechanosensitive responses in both normal and pathological contexts, with particular emphasis on the role of the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 as a key molecular transducer. Cutting-edge tools such as Fluidic Force Microscopy and tension-sensitive probes like Flipper-TR are presented as enabling technologies for quantifying cellular responses to mechanical stimuli with high precision.