The 152nd KARC Colloquium

Date&Time	Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026, 14:40-15:50 ( 3 talks )
Place	TV conference Room2, 3 F of Research Building 2 , Advanced ICT Research Institute(Kobe), NICT
Lecturer1	Mechanical Cues and Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Cellular Senescence
Speaker	Professor Shinji Deguchi Graduate School of Engineering Science, The University of Osaka
Abstract	Cellular senescence plays an important role in age-related tissue dysfunction and disease. Cells are continuously exposed to various mechanical stimuli from their surroundings while generating forces of their own to maintain their structure and function. We focus on the interactions between cells and their mechanical environment to investigate how these interactions influence cellular senescence and the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects. In this talk, I will present our recent findings on changes in cytoskeletal organization and cell-matrix adhesions in response to extracellular matrix stiffness, as well as the intracellular transport and secretion of senescence-associated molecules. I will also discuss the potential for controlling cellular senescence by modulating the mechanical environment.
Lecturer2	Swimming and Cargo Transport of Liposomes Driven by Encapsulated Microorganisms
Speaker	Dr. Daiki Matsunaga Graduate School of Engineering Science, The University of Osaka, Associate Professor
Abstract	Liposomes, artificial vesicles composed of lipid bilayers, have been explored as platforms for microscale cargo transport. However, providing these vesicles with propulsion and control over their motion remains an important challenge. Our collaborative research team has developed a biohybrid system termed "chlamylipo", in which motile cells of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii are encapsulated within liposomes. Chlamylipo swims as the encapsulated cells push against and deform the surrounding liposome membrane. This presentation examines the relationship between membrane deformation and swimming velocity from a fluid mechanical perspective, and discusses how the liposome membrane acts as a mechanical clutch to regulate motility, together with demonstrations of cargo transport.
Lecturer3	Coiled-coil molecular tension sensors reveal mechanisms of force transmission along molecules in living cells
Speaker	Dr. Takumi Saito Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University Nanobiology Institute, Yale University Graduate School of Engineering Science, The University of Osaka
Abstract	Molecular tension is a key mechanical cue in cellular mechanotransduction where cells can sense and adapt to mechanical stress through various molecular biochemical pathways. Revealing mechanisms of force transmission at the molecular level, not only identifying related molecules, provides deeper mechanistic insights into mechanotransduction. However, quantifying molecular tension in living cells and tissues remains challenging due to technical limitations. Here, we developed a novel molecular tension sensor that overcomes common limitations of FRET-based sensors. Our sensor is composed of two alpha-helices and a functional linker in between, forming a secondary coiled-coil structure with a hairpin-like conformation in physiological conditions, so called coiled-coil tension sensors. The coiled-coil opens in an all-or-none fashion depending on forces. We have applied the coiled-coil tension sensors to various proteins; cytokinesis formin Cdc12, type-II myosins Myp2 and Myo2, and endocytic protein Ent1 in fission yeast, nematode axons β-spectrin, a focal adhesion protein vinculin, and an actin crosslinking protein alpha-actinin1 in mammalian cells.
Language	Japanese
Admission	Free
Organizer	Dr. Tanaka, Hiroto. General Planning Office, Advanced ICT Research Institute, NICT