Expérimental
Cells can sense and respond to external forces and mechanotransduction events appear to be critical for most cellular functions. While mechanotransduction has been extensively studied at the plasma membrane and at the nucleus, the impact of forces on other organelles is still not clear. This M2 internship project will study mechanotransduction at mitochondria, the organelle which plays a key role in cell metabolism by producing energy in the form of ATP. During this M2 internship project, we will ask whether changes in metabolism impact on mitochondrial mechanics, and conversely, whether mechanical forces applied on mitochondria modify metabolic responses. The intern will measure mitochondria morphology and mechanics with image analysis and optical tweezers-based intracellular microrheology. Different cell treatments (oligomycin, FCCP, rotenone, H2O2) will be used to perturb cell metabolism and fluorescent probes (MitoSOX, CellROX, TMRE) will report the changes in metabolism due to forces exerted on mitochondria either internally by optical tweezers or externally by microfluidic techniques.