Principal Investigator, MBI
email: dbslb@nus.edu.sg
lab: Cell Adhesion and Mechanics Lab
Professor, Matière et Systèmes Complexes, Université Paris Diderot & CNRS
RESEARCH AREAS
Epithelial cell migration; Microfabrication for cell mechanics; Influence of the mechanical environments on cell functions; Mechanotransduction
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Our research aims at understanding how living organisms interact with their environment. In particular, we are studying the cooperation between adhesion, biomechanical and biochemical signaling for the adaptation of living organisms to changes in their environment. To probe these questions, our laboratory has developed a repertoire of micro- and nano-fabrication tools to control and measure the chemical and mechanical environment of cells. Our research programme thus focuses on the integration of novel microfabricated devices for the quantitative imaging of living organisms.
BIOGRAPHY
With a background in Physics, Prof Ladoux started his career at Curie Institute working on single molecule biophysics. He worked on two main problems combining statistical physics, microfabrication and molecular biology: 1) chromatin condensation in real time; 2) fluctuations of a single polymer under shear flows. After a post-doc on cell mechanics, he used his knowledge in biophysics and microfabrication to start a new subject on mechanical studies of cell migration and adhesion at the University Paris Diderot. He developed original systems to characterise the mechanical interactions of cells with their migration support. He initiated a pluridisciplinary collaboration between French institutes and developed several collaborations with well-established international institutions such as IBEC (Spain), Harvard, Columbia, Carnegie Mellon (USA) and NUS. Introduced to Singapore by Prof Sheetz whom he collaborates with, he is now involved as a Principal Investigator in MBI.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
B. Ladoux and A. Nicolas. Physically based principles of cell adhesion mechanosensitivity in tissues. Rep. Prog. Phys. 75 (2012).
SRK. Vedula, MC. Leong, T. Lei Lai, P. Hersen, A. J. Kabla, CT. Lim* & B. Ladoux*, Emerging modes of collective cell migration induced by mechanical constraints. PNAS (2012).
E. Anon, X. Serra-Picamal, P. Hersen, N. C. Gauthier, M. P. Sheetz, X. Trepat & B. Ladoux, Cell crawling mediates collective cell migration to close undamaged epithelial gaps. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 109, 10891-6 (2012).
Trichet L, Le Digabel J, Hawkins RJ, Vedula SR, Gupta M, Ribrault C, Hersen P, Voituriez R & Ladoux B., Evidence of a large-scale mechanosensing mechanism for cellular adaptation to substrate stiffness, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 109, 6933-6938 (2012).
M. Ghibaudo, J.-M. Di Meglio, P. Hersen & B. Ladoux. Mechanics of cell spreading within 3D-micropatterned environments. Lab on a Chip, 11, 805-812 (2011).
J. Le Digabel, N. Biais, J. Fresnais, J.-F. Berret, P. Hersen & B. Ladoux. Magnetic micropillars as a tool to govern substrate deformations. Lab on a Chip, 11, 2630-2636 (2011).
A. Saez, E. Anon, M. Ghibaudo, O. du Roure, J.-M. di Meglio, P. Hersen, A. Buguin, P. Silberzan & B. Ladoux. Traction forces exerted by epithelial cell sheets. Journal of Physics-Condensed Matter, 22, 194119 (2010).
B. Ladoux, E. Anon, M. Lambert, A. Rabodzey, P. Hersen, A. Buguin, P. Silberzan & R-M. Mège. Strength dependence of cadherins mediated adhesions. Biophysical Journal 98, 534-542 (2010).
O. du Roure, A. Saez, A. Buguin, R.H. Austin, P. Chavrier, P. Silberzan & B. Ladoux Force mapping in epithelial cell migration. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA, 102 2390-6 (2005).
