Optomechanical Transduction for in vitro maturation and functional enhancement of biofabricated skeletal MUScles
Optomechaniczna transdukcja na potrzeby dojrzewania in vitro i funkcjonalnego wzmocnienia biofabrykowanych mięśni szkieletowych
- Principal Investigator
- dr Fabio Maiullari
- Project number
- 2025/56/C/ST8/00199
- Project duration
- 11 September 2025 – 10 September 2028
- Project value
- 985 914 PLN
About the project
OPTI-MUS project focuses on the development of advanced human skeletal muscle models capable of more closely replicating the structure and function of native muscle tissue in vitro. The research integrates biofabrication, microfluidics, photostimulation, and real-time imaging technologies to improve the physiological maturation of engineered skeletal muscles. A central element of the project is the development of an innovative modular photo-bioreactor that combines dynamic culture conditions with controlled light-based stimulation. To monitor muscle maturation in real time, genetically engineered human myoblasts expressing fluorescently tagged titin will be used, allowing direct visualization of sarcomere organization and muscle development. The project also explores non-genetic photostimulation strategies based on photoresponsive molecules to induce controlled muscle contraction in a minimally invasive manner. Advanced proteomic and epigenetic analyses will further investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying muscle maturation under dynamic culture conditions. The overall objective of OPTI-MUS is to establish reproducible and standardized protocols for generating highly functional skeletal muscle tissues in vitro. The developed platform could support future applications in regenerative medicine, disease modeling, drug screening, and the study of muscle-related disorders.
Publications
Publications resulting from this project will be listed here.