Cell-cycle, cell dynamics and mechanics (CELLDYN)

Presentation

Coordinators : Magali Suzanne – Julie Batut

Animation : Magali Suzanne – Julie Batut – Denis Krndija

PRESENTATION

Cell cycle dynamics, regulation and timing at different scale

Our goal is:

• to decipher cell cycle mechanics and regulation from yeast to mammals;
• to investigate the mechanisms of regulation and signaling pathways involved in the control of cell cycle progression and checkpoints;
• to determine how cell cycle progression interfaces with other cellular processes, such as migration, differentiation or tissue homeostasis;

Biomechanics: from cell to tissue

Our goal is:

• to understand the mechanical contribution to cell dynamics
• to determine how cells interact mechanically with their environment to form specific organs, a process known as morphogenesis.
• to determine how fundamental cellular events such as cell division, cell death, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cell delamination, cell migration and cell intercalation are coordinated with cell shape changes.

Transversal questions

Cell heterogeneity

The possibility to combine reversible inactivation of single genes with dynamic studies at single cell level in living samples will be instrumental to address the question of cell heterogeneity and to determine how an organism establishes and regulates this heterogeneity at a multiscale level.

Developmental disorders and diseases

Another important goal is to understand how cell dynamics and mechanics may become deregulated in disease, including developmental disorders and cancer by leading to aneuploidy and genetic instability.

Integrative approaches

Finally, we used integrative approaches, as shown by the increasing number of teams developing interdisciplinary approaches, such as biophysics, mathematical models, or bioinformatics analyses.

TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACHES

A versatile super-resolution microscope (RIM) allowing the visualization of macromolecule dynamics in whole tissues, overcoming the limitations of commercial super-resolution systems such as STORM, PALM and STED.

A non-invasive methods to measure forces (optical tweezers) allowing measurements of forces within a living tissue using an endogenous probe.

Microfluidic devices to study yeast division under physical constraint.

Laser microdissection with pulsed 532nm laser.

Optogenetics coupled to spinning disc microscope.