Novel tools to study and steer the volume of living cells

Basic data for this project

Description

Living cells within tissues interact with their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM), a protein-based network, through intricate physical and chemical signals spanning various time and length scales. Understanding the mechanisms behind this communication is crucial in the field of healthcare. Gaining insight into tissue imbalances and diseases allows for the development of precise and effective treatments to restore tissue function and enables innovative tissue engineering approaches. This project aims to introduce a groundbreaking photo-chemical approach that grants unprecedented control over the volume of cells in three dimensions, in a reversible manner, and under the user's direction. This innovative technique will facilitate precise analysis of the influence of cell volume on cell behavior with enhanced precision and flexibility. Furthermore, it offers simplicity of implementation, cost-effectiveness, and compatibility with high-throughput production and analysis, opening doors to extensive research and potential applications in the field.