Subventions et des contributions :

Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier. (2017-2018 à 2022-2023)

Living cells sense and respond to their microenvironment through physical and chemical signals. Mechanical interactions are believed to control a number of cell functions such as division, migration and differentiation. In vivo, these interactions are determined both by the adjacent cells and by the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) fibrillar network. The behavior of the single proteins forming such supermolecular ECM structures has been studied extensively, but surprisingly the structural and mechanical properties of individual fibers—on the length scale of cells—together with the likely synergetic roles played by the different proteins present in the ECM have remained elusive. Elucidating the physical processes that govern the function of ECM proteins and their interactions with living cells (called mechanobiology) is a fertile field of research, as it represents a novel strategy for controlling living cell functions that can find numerous technological applications.
The proposed research program combines fundamental studies in two closely interconnected (though independent) areas of biophysics: (i) mechanobiology of proteins across multiple length scales and (ii) fabrication of biologically-inspired 3D model systems for long-term cell culture studies. More specifically, the focus of the first area will be to correlate structural and mechanical properties of single ECM proteins and proteins assemblies from the molecular/fiber scale (Theme 1) to the matrix/cellular scale (Theme 2). The second area will concern the fabrication of tunable 3D cell culture platforms that mimic the ECM conformational and mechanical properties essential to investigate and control cell functions (Theme 3).
This proposal has broad ranging implications as 3D (conductive and non conductive) tunable ECM-mimicking platforms represent a novel and versatile tool for biophysical and biomedical research with many potential technological applications in bioelectronics, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. This program will also be transformative in its capacity to promote new approaches in mechanobiology research, as well as to offer valuable multidisciplinary training to highly qualified personnel (HQP) in a range of cutting-edge techniques spread over the fields of biophysics, biomaterials science, and bioengineering. These skills would position HQP to meet the demands of our growing high-tech industry, thereby strengthening Canada’s knowledge-based economy and ensuring maximum return from its research investments.