Courses > April
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Massimo Vassalli
James Watt School of Engineering
University of Glasgow
Cellular Mechanobiology Lab
Centre for The Cellular Microenvironment
9-10:30 Friday, April 25, 2025
Institut de Physique de Nice, 17 rue Julien Lauprêtre, 06200 Nice
Bone mechanobiology: remodelling and mechanosensing
Bone is a dynamic and highly adaptive tissue, constantly reshaped in response to mechanical forces. This lecture explores the fundamental principles governing bone growth and remodeling, with a focus on the interplay between mechanical loading and cellular
behavior. We revisit classical biomechanical models that describe how bone structure is optimized through use, and how disuse leads to resorption. We then delve into Frost’s mechanostat theory, which proposes a threshold-driven mechanism controlling bone adaptation, nd consider the still unresolved question of how bone cells sense and transduce mechanical stimuli. Emerging insights into the role of osteocytes and mechanosensitive ion channels, including Piezo1, shed light on the molecular players that may act as mechanosensors. Finally, we reflect on the evolutionary pressures shaping bone remodeling, balancing biomechanical efficiency with metabolic needs. Together, these insights bridge engineering principles and biological processes, offering a view of how forces shape skeletal health.
10:45-12:15 Friday, April 25, 2025
Cellular mechanosensing and membrane mechanics
Mechanosensing, the ability of cells to sense and respond to mechanical stimuli, is a central process in mammalian cells, triggered by a varied pool of molecular structures. Mechanosensitive ion channels, such as Piezo1, play a central role in this mechanism, directly converting forces and stretches into biochemical signals. This downstream cascade induces cytoskeletal remodeling, mobilization of intracellular organelles and reorganization of the adhesion structures, ultimately impacting on the mechanical properties of cellular structures which, in turn, modulates the mechanosensitivity of ion channels. This interplay between mechanics and mechanosensing is finely tuned within mammalian cells. During the lecture, we will discuss how the tension propagates across biological membranes, and the physiological implications of this process.
9-10:30 Wenesday, April 30, 2025
Bioengineering tools to study membrane mechanosensing
Cells are not only biochemical factories—they are also sensitive mechanical sensors that constantly respond to the physical cues of their environment. In this lecture, we explore the emerging field of cellular mechanosensation, which lies at the crossroads
of cell biology, physics, and engineering. We review state-of-the-art tools for probing mechanosensation at the single-cell level, including atomic force microscopy (AFM), patch clamp electrophysiology, and the innovative Fluidic Force Microscopy (FluidFM), which allows precise application of pressure and force with simultaneous optical readout. We highlight how combining these techniques with fluorescent biosensors and advanced microscopy enables quantification of membrane tension, intracellular signaling, and global cellular responses. Finally, we reflect on how the mechanical microenvironment influences mechanosensitivity, drawing from molecular dynamics and recent discoveries on membrane–cytoskeleton coupling. This multidisciplinary approach opens exciting paths to study mechanobiology in both physiological and pathological contexts.
