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Keynote Speaker

Dr. Federico Colombo

Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials (IMSEAM), Heidelberg University

E-mail

federico.colombo@uni-heidelberg.de

Engineering of Cellular Microenvironments: Biomechanics and Precision Models for Chronic Disease Research

Chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease arise from complex interactions between cells and the surrounding microenvironment. While molecular mechanisms have been extensively investigated, the contribution of tissue mechanics to disease progression remains less understood. Recent advances in quantitative biophysical methods have enabled the investigation of cellular responses to mechanical and physicochemical perturbations through label-free measurements of cell mass dynamics using Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM).(1) Combined with multimodal characterization approaches, including second harmonic generation imaging, Brillouin microscopy, and nanoindentation, these techniques provide detailed information on extracellular matrix organization, tissue mechanics, and disease-associated remodeling. At the same time, advances in biofabrication have expanded the ability to engineer cellular microenvironments with mechanical properties similar to the original tissues of the patients. Precise control of mechanical cues can be achieved through two-photon polymerization of three-dimensional microstructures(2) and through dynamically tunable biomaterials that regulate cell adhesion and mechanosensing(3). Together, quantitative biomechanics, advanced imaging, and precision bioengineering provide powerful tools for developing improved experimental models to investigate how physical cues regulate cellular behavior in health and disease.

References:

1. 1. Colombo F, Villiou M, Taheri F, Fröhlich L, Taale M, Albert V, et al. Fluctuations of Dry and Total Mass of Cells Exposed to Different Molecular Weights of Polyethylene Glycol. Adv Nanobiomed Res. 2023 Apr 15. doi:10.1002/anbr.202200156

2. 2. Colombo F, Taale M, Taheri F, Villiou M, Debatin T, Dulatahu G, et al. Two‐Photon Laser Printing to Mechanically Stimulate Multicellular Systems in 3D. Adv Funct Mater. 2024 Mar 4. doi:10.1002/adfm.202303601

3. 3. Scott S, Villiou M, Colombo F, la Cruz‐García A De, Tydecks L, Toelke L, et al. Dynamic and Reversible Tuning of Hydrogel Viscoelasticity by Transient Polymer Interactions for Controlling Cell Adhesion. Advanced Materials. 2025 Feb 11. doi:10.1002/adma.202408616

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