Welcome to the SYMBIOSE Lab at the University of Mons

We are an academic research lab studying physical principles in biological systems and developing new bioengineered matrices for mechanobiology

Cells in the human body are constantly subjected to mechanical stress and deformation. To function properly, they must sense and adapt to these physical cues, which are essential for tissue development, repair, and homeostasis. The dynamic interplay between mechanical forces and cellular behavior forms the basis of the emerging and rapidly expanding field of mechanobiology.

The SYMBIOSE Lab brings together a multidisciplinary team that integrates engineering concepts, microfabrication tools, and cellular biology techniques to explore how cellular structure, mechanics, and function are interconnected through custom-designed experimental approaches. Our research focuses on understanding how the physico-chemical properties of the extracellular matrix govern cellular signaling, organization, and fate.

To this aim, we engineer the cellular microenvironment to modulate cell–substrate adhesions, which are mechanically coupled to the contractile cytoskeleton, the primary force-generating structure within the cell. This coupling enables cells to sense, transmit, and respond to mechanical signals from their surroundings. Using custom-designed microsystems and advanced 3D imaging, we study how cells and tissues adapt to mechanical constraints through integrated biophysical, biochemical, and structural responses.

Our lab develops novel biomimetic platforms that recreate the complexity of the in vivo microenvironment—stiffness, viscoelasticity, curvature, or spatial constraints—allowing us to investigate fundamental questions at the core of mechanobiology. For instance, we study how mechanical memory can emerge from transient physical stimuli, how matrix curvature and spatial confinement direct both collective and single-cell migration, and how mechanical cues reshape nuclear architecture, modulate chromatin organization, and influence gene expression. By combining this experimental strategy with molecular perturbations and theoretical models, we explore the principles governing the mechanotransduction in living tissues.

Our approach integrates advanced bioengineered experimental systems with concepts of soft matter physics. These experimental systems include custom-designed cell culture substrates, photopolymerized hydrogels, and protein micropatterning, as well as microforce sensing devices and high-resolution optical microscopy. We further complement our investigations with molecular and cell biology techniques, including the use of genetically engineered cell lines.

Our overarching goal is to uncover the physical principles that govern cellular mechanotransduction and to apply this knowledge to fields such as regenerative medicine, cancer research, and neurobiology.

Please visite the research page for more details