People
We made the experience that the first step in finding discussion- and cooperation partners is to know people working in the same field or on complementary problems. Hence, here we want to provide a platform where researchers can introduce themselfes and their fields to facilitate scientific exchange.
CurvoBio researchers
Cécile Bidan
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
Germany
Department of Biomaterials
My research aims at clarifying the principles that guide tissue architecture. How do cells design and structure their extracellular matrix into a complex 3D supracellular microenvironment that fulfills mechanical and biological functions, while matching the surrounding physical constraints? I am currently focusing on microbial tissues, with the perspective to design biofilm-based materials.
John Dunlop
Paris Lodron University of Salzburg
Austria
Chemistry and Physics of Materials
I would like to understand how biological tissues change shape and develop their internal microstructure during growth and morphogenesis. We observe how living tissues interact with their physical environment and then use this information to feed into computational models to predict growth and patterning in 3D. If we can understand this well, perhaps in the future tissues can be grown in particular patterns to attain a desired functionality.
Andreas Roschger
Paris Lodron University of Salzburg
Austria
Chemistry and Physics of Materials
When investigating the principles of tissue growth on the cellular level, we need to explore the mechanical properties on a micro length scale. I want to understand the tricks that nature uses to create complex shapes and link the findings to tissue development. Especially for bone growth, much is to learn about the connections between physical principles and the biology of tissue formation.
Barbara Schamberger
Paris Lodron University of Salzburg
Austria
Chemistry and Physics of Materials
The main question within my research is “How does osteoid tissue form?”.
I investigate the intriguing structures within a forming tissue from a subcellular to a multicellular length scale by combining microfabrication techniques, in-vitro approaches and advances microscopy methods like light sheet or confocal microscopy.
Ricardo Ziege
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
Germany
Department of Biomaterials
My research aims at clarifying how biofilms integrate cues from their environment.
Therefore, I am studying the interplay of biofilm growth, morphogenesis and biofilm
material properties with tools such as time-lapse imaging, automated image analysis
and nanoindentation
Michał Bykowski
Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw
Poland
Department of Plant Anatomy and Cytology
In my research I focus on the role of lipids in the structure and plasticity of plastid membranes. Out of the ordinary membrane structure is what interest me the most. I try to combine biochemical and ultrastructural approach to investigate the composition of such fascinating structures.
Łucja Kowalewska
Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw
Poland
Department of Plant Anatomy and Cytology
Ioannis Papantoniou
KU Leuven
Belgium
Department of Development & Regeneration
I am studying dynamic membranes of plant plastids focusing on their structural plasticity. I am particularly interested in understanding the structure-function relationship and self-organization mechanisms of inner plastid membrane assemblies - from cubic bicontinuous configurations of etioplast prolamellar bodies to lamellar structures of chloroplast thylakoids.
My main research interests focus on engineering tissues for skeletal defect regeneration. Curvature is one of the drivers of neotissue formation and may guide morphogenesis. In other cases it act as agent for tissue growth arrest. Hence understanding these principles design rules could be extracted leading to rational bioprocesses for living implant engineering.
Aleš Iglič
University of Ljubljana
Slovenia
Faculty of Electrical Engineering
Electrostatics and statistical physics of biological membranes, shapes of cells and liposomes, physics of electric double layer, synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials and their interactions with biological cells and liposomes, topological defects, extracellular vesicles (EVs)
Rui Ruben
Polytechnic Institute of Leiria
Portugal
ESTG, CDRSP
Rui B Ruben has a BSc, MSc and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. However, since the BSc final work he is working in Computational Biomechanics. Therefore, main research interest areas are Computational Biomechanics applied to implants, scaffolds, respiratory analysis and medical image. Nevertheless, Rui Ruben also have some works in mesh generation and composites.
Nenad Pavin
Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb
Croatia
Department of Physics
I and my colleagues study how microtubules and molecular motors organize the cell interior, and we develop theoretical models in parallel with on-going experiments of my collaborators in Zagreb and abroad. In our mutual theory, we employ a basic knowledge of statistical physics and classical mechanics as well as known physical properties of microtubules and molecular motors.
Karine Anselme
CNRS
France
Mulhouse Materials Science Institute
My background is in Cell Biology and Biomaterials science. Since 2003, I am CNRS Research Professor at the Institute of Materials Science of Mulhouse (France) where I am developing research on Biointerfaces and Biomaterials with a focus on Cellular integration of cell scale topography, Microstructure-driven cell deformation and more specifically Curvature-driven cell migration (Curvotaxis).
Robert Vacha
Masaryk University
Czech Republic
CEITEC
I am interested in the interaction of lipid membranes and protein/peptides at the atomistic level. We mainly use computer simulations to understand why and how is the membrane curvature induced and sensed by peptides. The sequence-to-function relation we aim to gain will be applied to the selectivity of peptide/proteins to specific membranes, formation of membrane pores, or different lipid phases.
Poul Martin Bendix
University of Copenhagen
Denmark
BIOPHYSICS OF THE CELL SURFACE The aim is to understand how cells dynamically organize their cell surface and perform all the functions associated with the surface of the cell like remodelling of the plasma membrane, cell - cell interactions, lateral redistribution of proteins in the membrane and membrane repair. We study these physical phenomena like filopodia dynamics, cell surface repair.
Myfanwy Evans
University of Potsdam
Germany
Institute for Mathematics
I am interested in using geometric and topological ideas in understanding the form and function of tangled systems, in particular in periodic entangled structures. These tangled systems have relevance in polymeric and biological materials.
Jacob Kirkensgaard
University of Copenhagen
Denmark
Niels Bohr Institute & Dept. of Food Science
My research focus is mesoscale self-assembly and the formation of geometrically and topologically complex structures in soft matter systems, both synthetic systems like block copolymers and amphiphiles and biological systems, eg. photosynthetic membranes and biomacromolecules. I have combined expertise in coarse-grained molecular simulations and small-angle x-ray and neutron scattering techniques.
Vasileios Vavourakis
University of Cyprus
Cyprus
Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
My scientific expertise is in applied mechanics and biomechanics, mathematical and computer (in silico) modelling and high-performance computing; hence, my research interests span across scientific computing and modelling to systems biology and biomedical physics. My long-term research vision is to bridge models (in silico, in vitro, in vivo) with imaging methods, towards developing novel digital.
Rumiana Dimova
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
Germany
Biophysics Lab
My group tackles a variety of open questions in cell membrane biophysics and synthetic biology while employing giant vesicles. We use them as a platform to develop new methods for the biophysical characterization of membranes and processes involving them. Curvature generation, sensing and modulation in membranes is one main aspect we try to address.
Anupam Sengupta
University of Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Department of Physics and Materials Science
As an ATTRACT Fellow and tenure track Professor of Biophysics, I direct the Physics of Living Matter Group, an interdisciplinary team of physicists, biologists, engineers and mathematicians. We develop experiments, theory and numerics to uncover cross-scale adaptive strategies in microbes relevant to environment, human health and biomaterials, using concepts in complex fluids, active & soft matter.
Marite Cardenas
Malmö University
Sweden
Biomedical Science
My main research interest covers relations between structure/function and composition of biological interfaces and biological colloids. I have 14+ years of experience of studying lipid membrane structure and since two years ago started to explore the role of curvature of membrane structure using neutron scattering.
Agustin Mangiarotti
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces Germany
Biophysics Lab
My research interests are focused on membrane biophysics and the effects of macromolecular crowding and protein liquid -liquid phase separation on membrane properties. I am currently exploring the mechanism of membrane remodeling driven by protein droplets, trying to correlate the behavior at the nanometer scale with the morphological response at the micrometer scale.
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Caterina Tomba
CNRS
France
Lyon Institute of Nanotechnology - Biotechnology and Healthcare
My researches focus on tissue mechanics and I’m developing in vitro systems to control the geometry of epithelial monolayers in time and space. In particular, I’m currently interested in understanding how the architecture of the intestinal wall affects tissue growth and maintenance.
Sylvain Gabriele
University of Mons
Belgium
Research Institute for Biosciences
My group works in cell mechanobiology to understand how the physico-chemical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) regulate signaling pathways and cellular functions. We modulate the curvature of synthetic matrices for explore curvosensing mechanisms at individual and collective cell levels.
Nicholas Kurniawan
Eindhoven University of Technology
Netherlands
Biomedical Engineering
My group works in understanding the link between the geometrical properties of cells, tissues, and organ(oid)s and their biological functions. This includes a variety of fundamental mechanobiological processes, such as cell phenotype, migration, contractility, and differentiation, as well as macro-scale regenerative processes, such as ECM deposition, degradation, and morphogenesis.
Axel Voigt
Technische Universität Dresden
Germany
Institute of Scientific Computing
My research aims to solve partial differential equations on surfaces
and to explore the effect of curvature on the solution. Current problems
of interest in biology are cortical flows in C. elegans embryos and mechanical
cues for morphogenesis evolving from topological defects in epithelia
monolayers.
Laurent Pieuchot
CNRS
France
Mulhouse Materials Science Institute
My group is interested in understanding how cells interact with their physical environment by developing interdisciplinary approaches that combine cell biology, material sciences, biophysics and modelling. We have shown that cells and epithelia can respond to curvature variations through a process called curvotaxis. We are also developing biomimetic cell micro-environments, nanoscale self-assembled signalling platforms, bio-derived microsystems and bioactive materials, at the interface between biology and material sciences.