News

Jacopo Di Russo and Jennifer Young appointed Guest Editors for npj Biological Physics and Mechanics ECM Collection

We are pleased to announce that our PI, Dr. Jacopo Di Russo, and Mercator Fellow, Dr. Jennifer Young, have been appointed as guest editors for the forthcoming npj Biological Physics and Mechanics Collection entitled Mechanobiology of the Extracellular Matrix.

https://www.nature.com/collections/baeaeehfcd


Together, they will curate a curated series of research articles, reviews, and commentaries that elucidate how mechanical properties and ECM composition govern cellular behavior across physiological and pathological contexts. The special issue seeks contributions exploring:

  • ECM biophysical properties (e.g., stiffness, viscoelasticity, architecture),
  • Cell–ECM mechanotransduction and its roles in morphogenesis, homeostasis, and disease,
  • Multiscale approaches—from molecular and cellular to tissue scale—integrating experimental, computational, and theoretical perspectives.

This npj Biological Physics and Mechanics Collection highlights the pivotal role of mechanobiology in understanding how the extracellular matrix influences biological functions and dysfunctions across development, aging, regeneration, and disease. Under the guidance of Drs. Di Russo and Young, the issue aims to showcase innovative, interdisciplinary advances at the intersection of physics, engineering, and biology.


Submissions are now open for original research, reviews, and perspectives. We encourage authors from across these intersecting fields to contribute to this initiative.


Congratulations to Jacopo and Jennifer on their appointment!

We look forward to seeing the impactful contributions this special issue will bring to the mechanobiology community!

Avery and Jenn DECIPHER how the ECM impacts heart aging
Our Meracator fellow Jennifer Young and her team at the Mechanobiology Institute (MBI), National University of Singapore (NUS) recently published their work on the key role of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the aging heart in Nature Materials. Led by PhD student Avery Rui Sun, they developed a new hybrid biomaterial platform called DECIPHER that decouples stiffness and ECM cues in the heart. Their findings reveal that young ECM signals can restore aged heart cells to a more functional state, even on stiff substrates representing aged tissue, while aged ECM can prematurely age young cells. This work highlights the central role of mechanobiology in aging and opens new avenues for ECM-targeted therapies across multiple organs.

Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-025-02234-6

Link to news: https://news.nus.edu.sg/new-biomaterial-shows-ageing-in-heart-could-be-reversed/

Photo: College of Design and Engineering at NUS
ME3T at Science is Wonderful
ME3T at Science is Wonderful! 2025: Showcasing Skin Tissue Engineering and Bioelectronics

A member of the ME3T graduate school participated in Science is Wonderful! 2025, one of Europe’s leading science outreach events, held in Brussels and organized by the European Commission under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). This annual fair brings together researchers from across Europe to engage directly with young audiences and ignite their interest in science.

The event attracted more than 5000 visitors, including schoolchildren, teachers, and science enthusiasts from across the continent.

Representing ME3T, Dr. Dahiana Mojena Medina, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow, presented her research at the booth titled 'BioKIN-Land: Where the Future Feels Real!'. The stand focused on the exciting intersection of skin tissue engineering and bioelectronics, offering visitors an interactive experience to learn about the structure and function of the skin, as well as innovative approaches to developing advanced skin models that integrate bioelectronic devices. These technologies have promising applications in healthcare, personalized medicine, and regenerative therapies.

Events like Science is Wonderful! offer a fantastic platform to highlight the interdisciplinary research carried out within ME3T, while inspiring the next generation of scientists and fostering curiosity about the world of research.
A big thank you to everyone involved in making this event a success!

Know more about the event here:

Dahiana Mojena Medina selected for the prestigious YESP Program

We are excited to share that Dr. Dahiana Mojena Medina has been selected for the highly competitive Young Scientist Program (YESP) at Forschungszentrum Jülich. The YESP program is designed to support outstanding early-career scientists across disciplines, fostering their professional development and encouraging independent research leadership within the Jülich environment.
Dahiana is leading the BioKIN project, which focuses on developing next-generation bionic skin technologies. Her work combines bioelectronics and tissue engineering to create advanced, responsive skin models, with potential applications in personalized healthcare and disease modeling. More about this project here: https://biokinmsca.com/biokin-msca-project
Congratulations to Dahiana on this achievement!

More about the project here:

Congratulations Aleksandra Kozyrina!

On November 19th, Aleksandra Kozyrina has successfully defended her thesis with the best of honors!

Aleksandra’s dedication, curiosity, and perseverance have been truly inspiring throughout her research journey. Under Jacopo Di Russo’s guidance, she explored the impacts of basement membrane composition on the mechanobiology of the outer retina, making valuable contributions to the field.

As a member of the ME3T graduate school, Aleksandra also played a key role in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and advancing the program’s mission. Her contributions to the ME3T community and her research excellence leave a lasting legacy.

Congratulations to Aleksandra on this well-deserved success, and best wishes for her bright future ahead!

Happy times with our Mercator fellows Jennifer Young and Boris Martinac

Lecturing and feasting for the benefit of our graduate school. Everybody enjoyed their enthusiasm for science and their love of life.
... on being awarded one of the Add-on Fellowships for Interdisciplinary Life Science from the Joachim Herz Stiftung.
With 2 152.5 g and 1 014 pages the second edition of the “Lehrbuch der Biophysik” by Erich Sackmann and Rudolf Merkel will have a major impact on shaping the next generation of biophysicists in Germany.

More Info
ME3T Retreat 2024
Landgasthof Danielshof, Bedburg Kaster
16.09 – 18.09
We are happy to welcome Boris who has travelled all the way from Australia to stay with us for the next three months. He will help us learning all about the ins and outs of mechanosensitive channels. What a treat!
Anja Lena Thiebes receives a prestigious ERC Starting Grant for her project REVEAL. In the project, she will investigate the principles of chronic cough onset in an airway-on-a-chip model. In the next five years, her research will be funded with 1.5 million euros. (Foto: Peter Winandy)

More Info

He did it ...

Jacopo Di Russo on LinkedIn: I was asked. Why do you need it? Nobody does it anymore! I did it anyway ...

More Info here:
LinkedIn.com

Congratulation Vasudha!

We're thrilled to announce that our Ph.D. student Vasudha Turuvekere Krishnamurthy has been awarded a scholarship by Roche (Roche) to attend this year's European Summer School on Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in Spetses, Greece. We look forward to sharing our research with the stem cell community in Europe!

More info here:
LinkedIn.com

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft verlängert Förderung für zwei RWTH-Graduiertenkollegs

Die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft bewilligte zwei Anträge der RWTH Aachen zur Verlängerung von Graduiertenkollegs. Die Graduiertenkollegs „Mechanobiologie epithelialer 3D-Gewebekonstrukte (MEƎT)“ und „Physik der schwersten Teilchen am Large Hadron Collider“ wurden bereits 2019 eingerichtet. Ziel eines Graduiertenkol-legs ist die Ausbildung besonders qualifizierter Doktorandinnen und Doktoranden.

Pressemitteilung PDF

Congratulation Susan and Ramin!

We are proud to announce the successful thesis defense of
Susan Babu and Ramin Nasehi.