Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 7: Poster Session I
BP 7.29: Poster
Monday, March 9, 2026, 15:00–17:00, P5
Probing the micromechanics and fluidity of cellular spheroids — •Tom Sosniok1, Antoine Girot1, Gabriel de Barros Righes2, Rodrigo Catalán1, Ada Cavalcanti-Adam2, and Oliver Bäumchen1 — 1University of Bayreuth, Experimental Physics V, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany — 2University of Bayreuth, Cellular Biomechanics, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
Characterizing the mechanical properties of multicellular spheroids is crucial to elucidate the dynamics of biophysical processes such as pathological tissue development, tumor metastasis and disease progression. Spherical cellular aggregates often serve as valuable tissue models, yet, they cannot be readily characterized with conventional techniques that are optimized for single cells. By combining micropipette force spectroscopy [1] with optical shape tracking, we provide an experimental approach to measure the mechanical properties of spheroids. Here, we first applied this technique to the model organism Volvox globator, a photosynthetic microbe that naturally forms spherical aggregates. We show that the compression and relaxation dynamics of Volvox can be described by a viscoelastic model, with the viscous component exhibiting a shear-thinning behaviour that is accurately described by a power-law fluid. We find that the viscoelasticity of the aggregates as well as their elastic modulus depend on their life stage. Finally, we applied the same methodology and modelling to aggregates of human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells with epithelial morphology and analysed their mechanical properties.
[1] M. Backholm and O. Bäumchen, Nat. Protoc. 14, 594 - 615 (2019).
Keywords: Spheroids; Multicellular aggregates; Force spectroscopy; Viscoelasticity