Mechanics of cells and tissues

BIO-300 / 4 credits

Teacher: Gallini Sara

Language: English

Summary

In this course, students will explore how mechanical stimuli shape molecular responses, cell behaviors, and tissue architecture, with an emphasis on regeneration and disease. Basic image analysis tools will be introduced to determine cellular and tissue properties.

Content

This course explores how mechanical forces affect the way cells behave and how tissues are organized. It focuses on biological mechanisms, such as cytoskeletal dynamics, cell adhesion, and interactions with the extracellular matrix, that help cells sense and respond to mechanical signals. Students will learn how these signals guide critical processes, such as development, tissue repair, and disease progression. The course combines core biological concepts with real-world examples from current research and introduces basic tools for studying cell and tissue mechanics. Through lectures, readings, and basic image analysis (exercise hours), students will gain an understanding of how mechanical forces influence cell shape, tissue architecture, and cell fate.

 

Keywords

Mechanotransduction, Cell mechanics and behaviors, Tissue homeostasis, Tissue regeneration, Tumor mechanics, Basic imaging analysis, Force measurement tools

Learning Prerequisites

Recommended courses

BIO-205 Cellular and molecular biology I

BIO-207 Cellular and molecular biology II

 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

  • Define basic mechanobiology concepts such as stiffness, contractility, strain, and tension
  • Describe the biological roles of cytoskeletal elements, adhesion complexes, and the extracellular matrix (ECM) in organizing cells and tissues.
  • Identify the use of basic experimental tools in mechanobiology, including atomic force microscopy (AFM), laser ablation, and traction force microscopy.
  • Discriminate how mechanical signals influence biological processes such as stem cells, morphogenesis, tissue regeneration, and cancer.
  • Analyze microscopy images to measure cell morphology features such as volume, shape, alignment, and nuclear deformation
  • Use basic image analysis tools (e.g., ImageJ/Fiji) to extract, quantify, and interpret mechanical features from biological samples.
  • Design a simple experiment to test a mechanobiology hypothesis related to force-dependent regulation of cell behavior.
  • Assess / Evaluate how disruptions in cellular or tissue organization contribute to disease

Teaching methods

Weekly Lecture and Exercises

Assessment methods

Written exam

Resources

Moodle Link

In the programs

  • Semester: Spring
  • Exam form: Written (summer session)
  • Subject examined: Mechanics of cells and tissues
  • Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Type: optional

Reference week

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