Laser-generated microcavitation bubbles for mechanobiological studies in 3D tissue constructs (Conference Presentation)

This study introduces a novel optical platform utilizing laser-generated microcavitation bubbles to investigate cellular mechanotransduction in 3D tissue constructs. This technique imparts non-invasive, localized, and tunable mechanical stimuli to cells embedded in 3D hydrogels, allowing for mechanobiological studies with sub-second temporal resolution and micrometer spatial resolution. Here, we demonstrate the ability of our platform to initiate intracellular calcium signaling in primary dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs) within Collagen-1 hydrogels, and probe cellular mechanosensitivity as a function of distance, cell orientation, and collagen concentration. This technique showcases a new application of laser-generated microcavitation bubbles that enables the study of cellular mechanotransduction in 3D model systems, facilitating high-throughput screens of cellular mechanotransduction and its role in disease pathology.