Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kenji Nishizawa, Shao-Zhen Lin, Claire Chardes, Jean-Francois Rupprecht, Pierre-Francois Lenne
Summary: Biological tissues acquire reproducible shapes through dynamic cell behaviors, particularly the remodeling of cell-cell contacts. This study developed a technique to manipulate stress patterns on these contacts in the early epithelium of Drosophila embryos and found that Myosin -II activity responds to junction strain rate, facilitating junction shrinkage. These findings provide insights into the efficient deformation of cell-cell contacts in vivo and reveal the mechanosensitive features of their remodeling.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yulia Malkova, Sijie Ran, Dmitri Vainchtein, Gary Friedman
Summary: This paper investigates the reaction forces of spherical solids in soft tissues through experiments and mathematical modeling. The proposed model, which considers the history-dependent nature of the reaction forces, accurately describes the experimental results. The experiments involve using magnetic forces to drag a permanent magnet sphere in agarose gel and accurately tracking its motion through video tracking.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jack Binysh, Thomas R. Wilks, Anton Souslov
Summary: Researchers have developed continuum theory and microscopic simulations to describe a 3D soft solid with an active surface boundary, which controls shape change and wave propagation. Unlike thin shells and vesicles, they discovered that the 3D elasticity of the bulk material plays a crucial role in snap-through transitions between different shapes, which can be universally classified using Landau theory. Additionally, the active surface modifies elastic wave propagation by allowing zero or negative group velocities.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Fu-Lai Wen
Summary: The folding of epithelial cell sheets is a fundamental process in development. This study uses simulations to show that the physical properties of expanding supracellular contractile rings determine the patterns of epithelial fold formation. These findings have important implications for understanding epithelial folding morphogenesis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qiuting Zhang, Jian Li, Japinder Nijjer, Haoran Lu, Mrityunjay Kothari, Ricard Alert, Tal Cohen, Jing Yan
Summary: The study reveals the key morphogenesis steps of Vibrio cholerae biofilms embedded in hydrogels, showing that the morphodynamics and cell ordering in embedded biofilms are fundamentally different from those of biofilms on flat surfaces. The stiffness contrast between the biofilm and its environment determines biofilm morphology and internal architecture, selecting between different shapes and cell ordering patterns.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Developmental Biology
Susannah B. P. McLaren, Benjamin J. Steventon
Summary: The internal pressure of the notochord increases its elongation and stiffening, playing a key role in elongating the somitic compartment. Anterior expansion generates a force that displaces notochord cells posteriorly, contributing to the elongation of segmented tissue during posttailbud stages.
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Kalina T. Haas, Alexis Peaucelle
Summary: The biological process of plant growth and morphogenesis is intricately linked to the expansion of the cell wall, which plays a crucial role in determining cell shapes, tissue biomechanics, and the overall morphology of the organism.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maik C. Bischoff, Sebastian Lieb, Renate Renkawitz-Pohl, Sven Bogdan
Summary: The study reveals that in developing testes of Drosophila, contact-dependent asymmetry of cell-matrix adhesion facilitated by filopodia drives directional movement, while contractile actin cables contribute to the maintenance of migrating cell cluster integrity.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Physiology
Shier Nee Saw, Yichen Dai, Choon Hwai Yap
Summary: The placenta is crucial for both fetal and maternal health. Studying the biomechanics of the placenta is important for improving understanding of placental diseases.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tailin Chen, Yan Zhao, Xinbin Zhao, Shukai Li, Jialing Cao, Jun Guo, Wanjuan Bu, Hucheng Zhao, Jing Du, Yanping Cao, Yubo Fan
Summary: Morphogenesis is a dynamic process driven by a compression gradient caused by interfacial mechanical interactions. In tissues with low fluidity, the gradually intensified compression gradient triggers cell stratification; while in tissues with high fluidity, the compression gradient induces cell rearrangement and leads to 2D morphogenesis.
Article
Robotics
Maria Guix, Rafael Mestre, Tania Patino, Marco De Corato, Judith Fuentes, Giulia Zarpellon, Samuel Sanchez
Summary: Bioinspired hybrid soft robots, which combine living and synthetic components, utilize unique characteristics not found in artificial materials, such as adaptability and response to external stimuli. By optimizing 3D-printed skeleton designs and electrically activating muscle tissue, these robots are able to achieve both swimming and gliding motion mechanisms.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dong Zhou, Ahmed Abass, Bernardo Lopes, Ashkan Eliasy, Sally Hayes, Craig Boote, Keith M. Meek, Alexander Movchan, Natalia Movchan, Ahmed Elsheikh
Summary: This study aimed to estimate the reduction in collagen fibril density within the central 6 mm radius of keratoconic corneas through microstructure and videokeratography data processing. Results showed that the fibril density in the cones of keratoconic corneas was lower by as much as 35% compared with healthy corneas, and a linear approximation was developed to relate the reduction magnitude to various corneal parameters. The method can predict mean fibril density in the keratoconic eye's cone area, which may be used to regulate stiffness levels in finite-element models of the eye.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Gurpreet Singh, Arnab Chanda
Summary: The mechanical properties of soft tissues are crucial for studying human injuries and mitigation strategies. However, limited knowledge on the majority of human tissues hinders research in various applications. This study aims to address these challenges by reviewing literature on the mechanical properties of whole-body soft tissues and introducing non-linear biomechanical models. The gaps identified will aid future biomechanical studies on soft tissue characterization and accurate medical model development.
BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sai Naga Sri Harsha Chittajallu, Ashutosh Richhariya, Kwong Ming Tse, Viswanath Chinthapenta
Summary: Computational modelling of damage and rupture of non-connective and connective soft tissues is crucial for understanding failures. Recent advancements in damage models have applications in developing artificial tissues, medical devices/implants, and surgical intervention. This article reviews the recently developed models that consider tissue microstructure, providing key conceptual ideas, advantages, limitations, and challenges for damage and rupture models in soft tissues.
BIOENGINEERING-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tomer Stern, Stanislav Y. Shvartsman, Eric F. Wieschaus
Summary: Gastrulation movements in animal embryos are driven by regulated deformations of patterned epithelial sheets, and understanding the cellular processes and large-scale tissue deformations involved is crucial for studying animal development. Recent advances in microscopy and image processing provide a unique opportunity to integrate these complementary viewpoints, allowing for a better understanding of the early stages of gastrulation. By utilizing a computational framework for cell segmentation and tracking, as well as efficient algorithms for event detection, this study provides insights into the cellular activity patterns and quantitative relations between intercalation frequency and axis elongation during early Drosophila embryo gastrulation.
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Meng Li, Aniket Pal, Amirreza Aghakhani, Abdon Pena-Francesch, Metin Sitti
Summary: Soft actuators are flexible and compliant, making them perfectly suited for interacting with the human body. While they have promising real-world applications, challenges remain in implementing physical intelligence, improving performance and multifunctionality, as well as manufacturing scalability and extending lifetime.
NATURE REVIEWS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wendong Wang, Gaurav Gardi, Paolo Malgaretti, Vimal Kishore, Lyndon Koens, Donghoon Son, Hunter Gilbert, Zongyuan Wu, Palak Harwani, Eric Lauga, Christian Holm, Metin Sitti
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between information, structure, and interactions by using self-organizing spinning magnetic micro-disks as a model experimental system. The findings demonstrate a direct link between information and structure, and establish the Shannon entropy by neighbor distances as a powerful observable for characterizing structural changes. These findings are important for analyzing natural self-organizing systems and designing collective robots.
Article
Robotics
Varun Sridhar, Filip Podjaski, Yunus Alapan, Julia Kroeger, Lars Grunenberg, Vimal Kishore, Bettina Lotsch, Metin Sitti
Summary: In this study, we propose two-dimensional poly(heptazine imide) (PHI) carbon nitride microparticles as light-driven microswimmers. These microswimmers demonstrate high-speed movement in high ionic concentrations and biological media and exhibit controlled drug release capabilities.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nolan Frey, Utku M. Sonmez, Jonathan Minden, Philip LeDuc
Summary: New microfluidic systems have great potential in biology research. This article discusses microfluidic tools for studying intact model organisms, describing their technical features and advantages, as well as identifying challenges and barriers to their accessibility.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Akash Garg, Saigopalakrishna S. Yerneni, Phil Campbell, Philip R. LeDuc, O. Burak Ozdoganlar
Summary: This work introduces a freeform 3D ice printing process that allows for high-speed and reproducible fabrication of ice structures with micro-scale resolution. The dimension and geometry of the structures are controlled through modulation of droplet ejection frequency and stage motions. This method enables the creation of complex geometries, overhang structures, smooth surfaces, and micro-scale features.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Samuel Leder, HyunGyu Kim, Ozgur Salih Oguz, Nicolas Kubail Kalousdian, Valentin Noah Hartmann, Achim Menges, Marc Toussaint, Metin Sitti
Summary: This paper presents a modular collective robotic construction system utilizing timber struts and robotic actuators, and demonstrates its capabilities through experiments, laying the groundwork for future autonomous collective robotic construction systems.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mukrime Birgul Akolpoglu, Yunus Alapan, Nihal Olcay Dogan, Saadet Fatma Baltaci, Oncay Yasa, Gulsen Aybar Tural, Metin Sitti
Summary: Bacterial biohybrids controlled by magnetic fields can efficiently deliver drugs to specific regions in 3D biological matrices, demonstrating potential for minimally invasive medicine.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jae-Kang Kim, Nagaraj Krishna-Subbaiah, Yingdan Wu, Jongkuk Ko, Anitha Shiva, Metin Sitti
Summary: This article presents a two-step curing process to significantly improve the repeatability of the micropatterned flexible silicone molds in UV light curing based R2R systems. The mold repeatability is increased from tens of cycles to over 1000 cycles through this strategy, even for complicated 3D undercut geometries and highly adhesive microstructures.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yun-Woo Lee, Jae-Kang Kim, Ugur Bozuyuk, Nihal Olcay Dogan, Muhammad Turab Ali Khan, Anitha Shiva, Anna-Maria Wild, Metin Sitti
Summary: This article presents a 3D-printed multifunctional microrobot inspired by pollen grains, which consists of three hydrogel components. Each component has its respective targeted functions, including magnetic field response, temperature responsiveness, and pH-responsive cargo release, enabling the robot to perform various medical functions.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Phillip Won, Stephen Coyle, Seung Hwan Ko, David Quinn, K. Jimmy Hsia, Philip LeDuc, Carmel Majidi
Summary: Liquid metal embedded elastomers (LMEEs) are stretchable composites with unique properties that make them appealing for flexible electronics and soft robotics. This study investigates the biocompatibility and cell cytotoxicity of LMEE composites in contact with C2C12 cells. The influence of EGaIn volume ratio and synthesis parameters on cell proliferation and viability is examined, as well as the case of electrically-conductive LMEE composites.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Chong Hong, Dewei Tang, Qiquan Quan, Zhuoqun Cao, Che Wang, Metin Sitti, Zongquan Deng
Summary: Small-scale jumping robots with two-DOF inertial appendages are presented to improve maneuverability in different phases of operation. These robots can achieve omnidirectional jumping trajectory modulation by controlling the appendages before triggering the jump, crawling locomotion mode by controlling the disengagement and contact between the appendages and the substrate, and stabilizing the body attitude during aerial maneuvering through rapid appendage manipulation. The multifunctional appendages provide a versatile solution for improving the maneuverability of jumping robots.
IEEE-ASME TRANSACTIONS ON MECHATRONICS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Andres Arias-Rosales, Philip R. LeDuc
Summary: As the world's population increasingly concentrates in urban areas, meeting the intense energy demand sustainably and efficiently is becoming critical. Solar harvesting technologies have the potential to transform cities into energy producers. In this study, three shadow modeling approaches that consider all anisotropic components of solar radiation are developed and demonstrated in urban scenes, providing new technological capabilities for urban solar harvesting applications.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Ernest Kabuye, Philip LeDuc, Jonathan Cagan
Summary: This study proposes a novel Mixed Reality Combination System (MRCS) that combines Augmented Reality (AR) technology and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor with 3D printed, collagen-based specimens to enhance task performance. By projecting surgeon-created virtual imagery onto a 3D printed biospecimen as AR, the MRCS allows real-time user reactions and effective task planning. In addition to surgical planning, this system can have general applications in areas such as construction, maintenance, and education.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jaehoon Kim, Hyunho Kim, Jeong Suk Kang, Eun Soo Lee, Choon Hee Chung, Hyun Jeong Oh, YongTae Kim, Seok Chung, Eun Young Lee
Summary: We have developed a microfluidic model that replicates the physiology of the glomerular filtration barrier (GFB) through tunable glomerular basement membrane (gBM) deposition and 3D co-culture of podocytes with glomerular endothelial cells (gECs). By controlling the thickness of the gBM, our model successfully reproduces the biphasic response of the GFB and facilitates dynamic crosstalk between gECs and podocytes. The interaction of gECs and podocytes plays a significant role in drug-induced injury and regulation of barrier properties.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jaehoon Kim, Taehee Yoon, Paul Kim, Mandakh Bekhbat, So Mang Kang, Hoon Suk Rho, Song Ih Ahn, YongTae Kim
Summary: Microphysiological system or organ-on-a-chip technologies have the potential to replicate the key structure and function of 3D human tissues with higher reproducibility than traditional models, making them promising alternatives to animal models for drug testing. However, standardized manufacturing of these organ chip models is necessary for reliable drug screening and mechanism research.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Lin-Lin Luo, Jie Xu, Bing-Qiao Wang, Chen Chen, Xi Chen, Qiu-Mei Hu, Yu-Qiu Wang, Wan-Yun Zhang, Wan-Xiang Jiang, Xin-Ting Li, Hu Zhou, Xiao Xiao, Kai Zhao, Sen Lin
Summary: A novel AAV serotype, AAVYC5, introduced in this study, showed more efficient transduction into multiple retinal layers compared to AAV2, and enabled successful delivery of anti-angiogenic molecules in mice and non-human primates.
