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Reposted by epithelial mechanics fan club

epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 18h

1/ 🐣⚒️ To study mechanics, we need to apply prescribed forces - how can we do that in living tissues? I am @eigenp.bsky.social and in this thread I'll highlight our new approach for applying tension on epithelial tissues in vivo!

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 18h

Thank you for reading the thread. I am @eigenp.bsky.social. For more follow @epimechfc.bsky.social bsky.app/profile/epim...

epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · Nov 21

📚 Welcome to the Epithelial Mechanics Fan Club! 🌟

We're all about sharing research papers and threads. If you'd like to contribute, please send DM us! 💬

Our goal is to build a community that fosters knowledge sharing.

Explore our previous 🧵 here 👇

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 18h

10/ Questions? Critiques? Other classics to add at the top? Drop them below ⬇️

For more details on the method, check out the full paper + github repo for using the method yourself!

🔗 doi.org/10.1242/dev....
🧑‍💻 github.com/eigenP/Oikon...

Application and measurement of tissue-scale tension in avian epithelia in vivo to study multiscale mechanics and inter-germ layer coupling

Summary: Presentation of a simple approach to simultaneously measure and apply tension to epithelia in vivo, used to study endoderm and ectoderm mechanics in the developing chick embryo.

doi.org

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 18h

9/ Related reads: 🧪📖 🔬 🐣 📐
Harris et al. (2012, PNAS) bsky.app/profile/epim...
Charras & Yap (2018, Current Biology)
bsky.app/profile/epim...
Zhou, Kim & Davidson (2009, Development)
bsky.app/profile/epim...

epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 3d

Charras, G. and Yap, A. S. (2018). Tensile forces and mechanotransduction at cell–cell junctions. Current Biology, #EpithelialMechanicsReview www.cell.com/current-biol...

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 18h

8/ Demo 3: Figure out the forces needed to unzip the neural tube (precursor to the brain!)
Morphogenetic force threshold, in vivo. ⚙️➡️🧠

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 18h

7/ Demo 2: Disrupt actin in one region (🟢 = actin perturbed, 🔴 = wild-type) → test for non-cell-autonomous effects (mechanical cross-talk beyond the perturbed zone) 🧩

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 18h

6/ You can do so much with it! Here are some case studies:
Demo 1: stretch the endoderm (ventral epithelium of the developing amniote 🐣 embryo, here in 🟢) → observe mechanical coupling with the subjacent mesoderm (brightfield ⬜) 🎥

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 18h

5/ How it works:
🛠️ Two fine tungsten cantilevers pull on filter-paper tabs adhered to the epithelium.
📏 Cantilever bend → μN force readout (~1–100 μN).
The entire setup fits on a microscope stage, so you can image responses live. 🔬 bsky.app/profile/epim...

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 18h

4/ Nonetheless, epithelial tissues in particular remain a challenge…
No need to FRET (😜) over it — we have a new tool that brings calibrated tensile control for epithelia in vivo!

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 18h

3/ Luckily, @xaviertrepat.bsky.social lab wrote a comprehensive survey of methods 🧰 to measure/perturb stress - in vivo - including stretchers, deformable beads/droplets, laser ablation, and force inference

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 18h

2/ Context: From monolayer tensile tests to junction mechanics and viscoelasticity @gcharras.bsky.social lab, we’ve learned loads in vitro. 🧫 📚 But in vivo? Harder

epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 7d

Khalilgharibi, N., Fouchard, J., Asadipour, N., ... & Charras, G. (2019). Stress relaxation in epithelial monolayers is controlled by the actomyosin cortex. Nature physics, 15(8), 839–847. doi.org/10.1038/s415... #EpithelialMechanics

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 18h

1/ 🐣⚒️ To study mechanics, we need to apply prescribed forces - how can we do that in living tissues? I am @eigenp.bsky.social and in this thread I'll highlight our new approach for applying tension on epithelial tissues in vivo!

1 6 19

epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 3d

Zhou, J., Kim, H. Y., & Davidson, L. A. (2009). Actomyosin stiffens the vertebrate embryo during crucial stages of elongation and neural tube closure. #EpithelialMechanics doi.org/10.1242/dev....

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 3d

Gómez-González, M., Latorre, E., Arroyo, M., & Trepat, X. (2020). Measuring mechanical stress in living tissues. Nature Reviews Physics, #EpithelialMechanics www.nature.com/articles/s42...

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 3d

Charras, G. and Yap, A. S. (2018). Tensile forces and mechanotransduction at cell–cell junctions. Current Biology, #EpithelialMechanicsReview www.cell.com/current-biol...

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 5d

Oikonomou, P., Calvary, L., Cirne, H. C., Welch, A. E., ... & Nerurkar, N. L. (2025). Application and measurement of tissue-scale tension in avian epithelia in vivo to study multiscale mechanics and inter-germ layer coupling. Development, #EpithelialMechanics doi.org/10.1242/dev....

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 6d

Harris, A. R., Peter, L., Bellis, J., Baum, B., Kabla, A. J., & Charras, G. T. (2012). Characterizing the mechanics of cultured cell monolayers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, #EpithelialMechanics doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 7d

Khalilgharibi, N., Fouchard, J., Asadipour, N., ... & Charras, G. (2019). Stress relaxation in epithelial monolayers is controlled by the actomyosin cortex. Nature physics, 15(8), 839–847. doi.org/10.1038/s415... #EpithelialMechanics

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 7d

About symmetry-breaking in embryonic development
bsky.app/profile/epim...

epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 9d

How do dynamic forces influence symmetry-breaking in embryonic development?

Hi, I’m @dr-rajendra-s-negi.bsky.social & in this thread, I’d like to introduce some aspects of the interdisciplinary research on tissue dynamics.

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 9d

Thank you for your attention! #EpithelialMechanics I'm @dr-rajendra-s-negi.bsky.social , Postdoctoral researcher @manningresearch.bsky.social

For more threads like this follow @epimechfc.bsky.social bsky.app/profile/epim...

epithelial mechanics fan club (@epimechfc.bsky.social)

📚 Welcome to the Epithelial Mechanics Fan Club! 🌟 We're all about sharing research papers and threads. If you'd like to contribute, please send DM us! 💬 Our goal is to build a community that…

bsky.app

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 9d

This review explains "cell jamming," where cells stop moving due to crowding, tension, and reduced fluctuations, and suggests identifying the main cause in experiments doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 9d

This research shows that organ movement through tissue generates viscoelastic drag forces, causing specific cell shape changes. These forces, observed in experimental studies, play a crucial role in shaping cells during development. doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 9d

This study reveals that asymmetric cell volume & shape changes in Kupffer's vesicle are regulated by ion flux, occurring independently of lumen expansion

Ion flux distinguishes intrinsic cellular mechanisms from lumen-generated forces in morphogenesis doi.org/10.7554/eLif...

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 9d

Research suggests that fluid-like drag forces from an organ's movement through surrounding tissue can influence its structure and function.

This study examines zebrafish Kupffer's vesicle & the shape changes of its monociliate cells during development. doi.org/10.1016/j.bp...

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epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 9d

Vertex & Voronoi models are used to study the mechanical properties & behaviors of cells and tissues.

Here the differences in boundary behavior in the 3D vertex and Voronoi models are presented: journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...

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