Project description
Unravelling cytoplasm mechanics in early embryo development
The cytoplasm is a complex, crowded environment filled with macromolecules, cytoskeletal networks and membranes that must work in harmony to drive essential cellular functions such as molecular diffusion and cell division. While cytoplasm material properties are well studied at the nanoscale, little is known about its regulation at the scale of larger structures, such as nuclei and mitotic spindles, particularly in the early stages of embryonic development. Recent findings suggest that cytoplasm fluid mechanics impact these processes. However, gaps remain in understanding how cytoplasm mechanics evolve during early embryo development. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the CYTOMECH project will use sea urchin embryos to uncover how endomembranes influence cytoplasm rheology, advancing our understanding of cell division and morphogenesis.
Objective
The cytoplasm is not a simple water-like liquid; it is a crowded heterogeneous medium filled with macromolecules, active cytoskeleton networks and endomembranes. This rich rheology must be precisely coordinated to regulate fundamental cellular processes such as molecular diffusion or cell division. However, while the material properties of the cytoplasm have been well studied at the nanoscale relevant to e.g. protein diffusion, its regulation at the scale of larger assemblies, like nuclei or mitotic spindles, remains poorly addressed. Recent results from the host team suggest that cytoplasm fluid mechanics play a key role in the regulation of cell division of large cells that mark the development of early embryos. In this CYTOMECH project, I thus aim to address how cytoplasm mechanics is regulated during early embryo development. I hypothesize that endomembrane vesicles, tubules and sheets form a crowded polydisperse suspension close to jamming that dominate cytoplasm rheology at the scale of large objects like nuclei or mitotic spindle, relevant to early embryo morphogenesis. Using sea urchin embryos as a model, I will first combine advanced imaging of the cytoplasm with active measurements of cytoplasm mechanics using in vivo magnetic tweezers to address how this endomembrane suspension evolves during early embryogenesis to modulate cytoplasm material properties along with embryo development. Then, using an artificial cell approach, I propose to reconstitute cytoplasm mechanics by encapsulating different cytoplasm extract fractions, enriched in various sets of endomembranes, in water-in-oil droplets; and use this assay to perform a mechanical screen of the cytoplasm. CYTOMECH will represent a breakthrough for our current understanding of how spatiotemporal changes of cytoplasm composition, organization and activity support cell division and embryo morphogenesis, as well as a unique training opportunity for the applicant to become an independent researcher.
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Keywords
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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75794 Paris
France
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