Cell-size-dependent regulation of Ezrin dictates epithelial resilience to stretch by countering myosin-II-mediated contractility.

The epithelial adaptations to mechanical stress are facilitated by molecular and tissue-scale changes that include the strengthening of junctions, cytoskeletal reorganization, and cell-proliferation-mediated changes in tissue rheology. However, the role of cell size in controlling these properties remains underexplored. Our experiments in the zebrafish embryonic epidermis, guided by theoretical estimations, reveal a link between epithelial mechanics and cell size, demonstrating that an increase in cell size compromises the tissue fracture strength and compliance.

A new tension induction paradigm unravels tissue response and the importance of E-cadherin in the developing epidermis.

The epidermis, being the outermost epithelial layer in metazoans, experiences multiple external and self-generated mechanical stimuli. The tissue-scale response to these mechanical stresses has been actively studied in the adult stratified epidermis. However, the response of the developing bi-layered epidermis to differential tension and its molecular regulation has remained poorly characterised.

Solution fibre spinning technique for the fabrication of tuneable decellularised matrix-laden fibres and fibrous micromembranes.

Unlabelled: Recreating tissue-specific microenvironments of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in vitro is of broad interest for the fields of tissue engineering and organ-on-a-chip. Here, we present biofunctional ECM protein fibres and suspended membranes, with tuneable biochemical, mechanical and topographical properties. This soft and entirely biologic membrane scaffold, formed by micro-nano-fibres using low voltage electrospinning, displays three unique characteristics for potential cell culture applications: high-content of key ECM proteins, single-layered mesh membrane, and flexibility for in situ integration into a range of device setups.

Magnetically levitated mesenchymal stem cell spheroids cultured with a collagen gel maintain phenotype and quiescence.

Multicellular spheroids are an established system for three-dimensional cell culture. Spheroids are typically generated using hanging drop or non-adherent culture; however, an emerging technique is to use magnetic levitation. Herein, mesenchymal stem cell spheroids were generated using magnetic nanoparticles and subsequently cultured within a type I collagen gel, with a view towards developing a bone marrow niche environment.