Expérimental
The forces applied to or generated by cells play a crucial role in the formation and function of biological tissues, which is particularly obvious in the case of skeletal muscle. The aim of the internship is to explore the combined effect of geometric and mechanical constraints on the early differentiation of muscle cells. During the differentiation of skeletal muscle, progenitor cells called myoblasts stop proliferating, elongate and fuse to form myotubes that will mature in muscle fibres. In this project we will first explore the question of the role of shape in skeletal muscle differentiation. Elongation will be applied either “passively”, by plating cells on elongated adhesive micropatterns, or “actively”, by plating cells on an elastomeric substrate which will be stretched, or by combining both. Various differentiation markers will be monitored using fluorescence microscopy (membrane potential, localisation of transcription co-factor YAP, myogenin). We will then add mechanical stimulation by progressive or cyclic stretching of the substrate and seek to characterize the better shape and mechanical stimulation pattern that accelerate or optimize differentiation.