Student Projects

As the lead student on the biological side, you’ll explore how human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) respond when we tweak their environment’s mechanical properties. You’ll use core molecular biology tools to decode their behavior: • Immunostaining to visualize structural changes and key signaling proteins like YAP/TAZ or ECM components like collagen and fibronectin. • qPCR to profile how gene expression shifts in response to changes in stiffness and osmotic stress. • Western blotting to validate pathway activation and identify how cells process mechanical information at the protein level. . Play with different hydrogles as substrate PEG, Collagen and Polyacrylamide

• Investigate the interaction between osmotic pressure and substrate stiffness in regulating fibroblast behavior. Literature: 1. L. Garau Paganella, et al., Biomaterials Advanced, 2024 2. Z. Liu et al., Scientific reports, 2022 3. M. Garcìa et al., Nature communications,2022 4. L. Thompson et al., Frontiers, 2020 5. K.M. Wisdom et al., Nature communication, 2018 6. A. Wahlsten et al., Biomaterials, 2021 • Analyze changes in fibroblast metabolism, cytoskeletal organization, and proliferation in response to these mechanical stimuli. • Explore the involvement of key signaling pathways, including P38 and YAP/TAZ, and assess potential crosstalk between them.

ficuni@ethz.ch