Lecture

Mechanobiology of Single Cells

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In course

ME-480: Mechanobiology: how mechanics regulate life

The objective of this course is to expose students to the fundamentals of mechanobiology. We will highlight the technologies that enable the study of living systems including mechanical manipulation and characterization, along with computational modeling f ...

Description

This lecture explores how bacteria sense and respond to forces, covering topics such as the environments of bacteria, bacterial cell structures, adhesion mechanisms, bacterial motility, and the mechanics of adhesion. It delves into the complex bacterial envelope, the structural basis for catch bonds, and the dynamics of response to surfaces. The instructor discusses the mechanisms of bacterial swimming, chemotaxis, and twitching motility, highlighting the role of type IV pili in bacterial motility. The lecture also addresses single cell mechanical interactions, mechanotaxis with pili, and mechanosensing with pili, emphasizing the importance of substrate stiffness. Additionally, it examines mechanotransduction in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and how pili sense force through spring-like behavior.

Instructors (2)

Mahmut Selman Sakar

Expertise robotics, mechanobiology, microtechnology, smart materials, biomedical devices Teaching & PhD PhD Students Lorenzo Francesco John Noseda, Nikita Norkin, Elif Ezgi Inan, Houman Javaheri, Mehdi Ali Gadiri, Julian Leon Raub, Junsun Hwang Past EPFL PhD Students Erik Mailand, Raquel Filipa Penacho Parreira, Murat Kaynak, Lucio Pancaldi-Giubbini, Fazil Emre Uslu, Matthias Rüegg, Ece Özelçi, Emilie Vuille-Dit-Bille Past EPFL PhD Students as codirector Laura Joan Hermans, Sourabh Monnappa Kuppanda Jafri

Alexandre Louis André Persat

Expertise bacterial biophysics and bioengineeringmicrofluidicscellular biomechanics Teaching & PhD PhD Students Jann Lukas Ledergerber, Dea Mariette Müller, Marin Paul Geoffroy Marie Ollagnon, Han-Yi Huang, Alice Pellegrino, Shiro Otaki, Chia-Ni Tsai, Po-Long Hsiao Past EPFL PhD Students Lorenzo Anton-Louis Talà, Xavier Pierrat, Tamara Rossy, Alice Cont, Jeremy Wong, Sourabh Monnappa Kuppanda Jafri, Tania Distler Past EPFL PhD Students as codirector Gabriele Gambardella Courses Fluid mechanics (for SV)

Official source

Related concepts (32)

Cell adhesion

Cell adhesion is the process by which cells interact and attach to neighbouring cells through specialised molecules of the cell surface. This process can occur either through direct contact between cell surfaces such as cell junctions or indirect interaction, where cells attach to surrounding extracellular matrix, a gel-like structure containing molecules released by cells into spaces between them. Cells adhesion occurs from the interactions between cell-adhesion molecules (CAMs), transmembrane proteins located on the cell surface.

Bacterial cell structure

The bacterium, despite its simplicity, contains a well-developed cell structure which is responsible for some of its unique biological structures and pathogenicity. Many structural features are unique to bacteria and are not found among archaea or eukaryotes. Because of the simplicity of bacteria relative to larger organisms and the ease with which they can be manipulated experimentally, the cell structure of bacteria has been well studied, revealing many biochemical principles that have been subsequently applied to other organisms.

Bacteria

Bacteria (bækˈtɪəriə; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among the first life forms to appear on Earth, and are present in most of its habitats. Bacteria inhabit soil, water, acidic hot springs, radioactive waste, and the deep biosphere of Earth's crust. Bacteria play a vital role in many stages of the nutrient cycle by recycling nutrients and the fixation of nitrogen from the atmosphere.

Cell (biology)

The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all forms of life. Every cell consists of cytoplasm enclosed within a membrane, and contains many macromolecules such as proteins, DNA and RNA, as well as many small molecules of nutrients and metabolites. The term comes from the Latin word cellula meaning 'small room'. Cells can acquire specified function and carry out various tasks within the cell such as replication, DNA repair, protein synthesis, and motility. Cells are capable of specialization and mobility within the cell.

Cell adhesion molecule

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are a subset of cell surface proteins that are involved in the binding of cells with other cells or with the extracellular matrix (ECM), in a process called cell adhesion. In essence, CAMs help cells stick to each other and to their surroundings. CAMs are crucial components in maintaining tissue structure and function. In fully developed animals, these molecules play an integral role in generating force and movement and consequently ensuring that organs are able to execute their functions normally.

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