Ruprecht, Verena
ICREA Research Professor at Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG).
Life & Medical Sciences
Short biography
Research interests
Research focus over the past 5 years:
1. Control of cell dynamics and cell plasticity by the physical tissue environment
Cells experience various mechanical challenges during tissue development and homeostasis. In previous work I showed that mechanical cell deformations in confinement can trigger a rapid morphodynamic motility switch (Ruprecht et al. Cell 2015). We recently identified that a mechano-transduction pathway in the nucleus controls cell contractility and dynamic cell behavior (Venturini et al. Science 2020). Our work provides a mechanistic understanding how cells adapt to mechanical stress and shape changes.
2. Error correction and developmental robustness in early embryogenesis
Embryo development is challenged by errors in cell division and cell death that represent a major cause of pregnancy failures. We recently identified that the surface epithelium in the vertebrate zebrafish and mouse embryo functions as a phagocytic scavenger system to remove aberrant dying cells based on mechanical cell cooperation (Hoijman et al. Nature 2021). Our results provide evidence for an innate immune response mediating error correction in the early embryo prior to the emergence of professional immune cells.
3. Method development
Visualization of cell dynamics with molecular resolution demands for advanced fluorescence imaging modalities. We recently developed SIMLE, a new imaging concept that combines principles of Single Molecule Imaging and Structured Illumination Microscopy with a 2-fold improvement in localization precision (Reymond et al. Optics Express 2019).
In addition, we develop advanced biophysical tools to measure cell and tissue mechanics. We recently established an optical tweezer-based method in live cells to study rheological properties of intracellular compartments and organelles and specifically applied it to study mechanical properties of the cell nucleus in primary embryonic cells (Catala-Castro Jove, 2021).