Classic embryological studies have successfully applied genetics and cell biology principles
to understand embryonic development. However, it remains unresolved how mechanics, as …

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are of great interest in biology and medicine due to
their ability to self-renew and differentiate into any adult or fetal cell type. Important efforts …

Embryogenesis is directed by morphogens that induce differentiation within a defined tissue
geometry. Tissue organization is mediated by cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) …

Substrate stiffness, biochemical composition, and matrix topography deeply influence cell
behavior, guiding motility, proliferation, and differentiation responses. The aim of this work …

Microenvironmental mechanical properties of stem cell niches vary across tissues and
developmental stages. Accumulating evidence suggests that matching substrate elasticity …

During embryogenesis, organisms acquire their shape given boundary conditions that
impose geometrical, mechanical and biochemical constraints. A detailed integrative …

Tissues achieve their complex spatial organization through an interplay between gene
regulatory networks, cell-cell communication, and physical interactions mediated by …

Our understanding of the intrinsic mechanosensitive properties of human pluripotent stem
cells (hPSCs), in particular the effects that the physical microenvironment has on their …

Both human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) from embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced
pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have the potential ability to differentiate into many different …

Cell differentiation typically occurs with concomitant shape transitions to enable specialized
functions. To adopt a different shape, cells need to change the mechanical properties of their …