Quantitative biomechanics of 3D muscle-cell spheroids using micropipette aspiration

The recruited student will work at the LAMBE laboratory, Université d’Évry Paris-Saclay. The laboratory has custom-built micropipette aspiration systems, facilities for 2D and 3D cell culture, advanced fluorescence imaging equipment, AFM, and facilities for microscopy, chemistry and microfabrication. Our research team has strong expertise in the nano-biomechanics of muscle cells (see Crépin et al., Small, 2026) and collaborates with the team of Onnik Agbulut at Sorbonne University, who develops 2D and 3D cellular models of cardiomyopathies, including hiPSC-derived models. Our laboratory is supported by the CNRS, the ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche), and other local and national funding agencies.  The Évry campus is a vibrant environment located approximately 45 minutes from Paris by train and is part of the Genopole biocluster, which brings together internationally recognized laboratories and institutes in biology and bioengineering, including Genethon, Genoscope and I-Stem. 

Desmin is an intermediate filament protein of the cytoskeleton that plays an essential role in the mechanical organization of muscle cells, connecting myofibrils to other cellular structures and synchronizing contractions. Mutations in the desmin gene are responsible for several skeletal and cardiac muscle diseases. In this project, we aim to investigate how desmin mutations affect the biomechanical properties of 3D muscle-cell spheroids using micropipette aspiration. Preliminary experiments performed in our laboratory indicate that spheroid aspiration can be quantitatively described using a modified Maxwell model, allowing the extraction of viscoelastic parameters. 

The main objective of the internship will therefore be to establish a systematic experimental platform for the mechanical characterization of muscle-cell spheroids. The student will participate in cell culture, spheroid production, micropipette aspiration experiments, image and data analysis, and quantitative modelling of spheroid deformation. The study will initially focus on comparing wild-type and desmin-mutant cells, and may also investigate the effects of myoblast differentiation into myotubes and spheroid maturation time on their mechanics. The goal is to develop a reproducible experimental and analytical workflow that can subsequently be applied to other cellular models. Depending on the progress of the project, possible extensions include mitochondrial fluorescence imaging during mechanical deformation and participation in the development of a new micropipette setup coupled to a Zeiss Apotome 3 fluorescence microscope.

We are particularly interested in students with a background in engineering, physics, biophysics or related disciplines, who are interested in applying quantitative and engineering approaches to fundamental biological research. Experience in cell culture, microscopy, image analysis, mechanics or programming/data analysis would be an advantage but is not required. The recruited student will be trained in all techniques required for the project.  Students interested in pursuing the project beyond the M2 internship may also receive support in seeking PhD funding.