Novel Biophysical Tools to Measure Multiple Parameters In The Same Cell

Biophysical biomarkers of cell state can reveal physiologically relevant changes that occur during disease progression. For example, cell deformability, cytoskeletal and nuclear organization, and macromolecular crowding are biophysical parameters implicated in migration and growth, which are essential processes for cellular functions. As biophysical parameters reflect physio-pathological cell states, they have the potential to be used as biomarkers for early diagnostics and clinical treatments in medicine. Current techniques based on microfluidics can be used to perform biophysical measurements in a high-throughput manner. However, these systems are not able to provide multiparameter, biophysical and same-cell measurements, making it difficult to find insightful relationships in heterogenous cellular mixtures.

SameMultiPhys will develop and produce customized microfluidic systems to measure multiple features in the same cells and evaluate their potential applications as biophysical biomarkers. These new technologies will allow us to study multiscale biological questions of immune T cells from an interdisciplinary perspective and other cell lines. This project aims to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and resources between institutions with expertise in microengineering, materials science, chemistry, mathematics, biology, and biophysics to promote collaboration between researchers, and to develop innovative microfluidic technologies for mechanobiology. The project will involve state-of-the-art microfabrication techniques, deep-learning analysis of images, and computational modelling to develop and validate the technologies developed. The ultimate goal of this project is to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanobiology of cells, enabling progress toward more effective identification of biomarkers.