A low-cost uniaxial cell stretcher for six parallel wells

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Cell Biology
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Cells are continuously exposed to mechanical forces and deformations in various organs.
• Studying cellular responses to mechanical stimuli often involves stretching cells on flexible substrates.
• Existing methods can be costly and lack flexibility for multi-batch studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an open-source, low-cost cell stretcher built from a 3D printer.
• To enable simultaneous stretching of multiple cell culture substrates for comparative studies.
• To investigate the activation of the Yes-associated protein (YAP) mechanotransduction pathway.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a cell stretcher using an Anet A8 3D printer.
• Development of open-source GCode and Python software for precise control.
• Simultaneous stretching of up to six flexible, optically clear substrates.
• Analysis of epithelial cell responses, including YAP pathway activation.

Main Results:

• The 3D-printed cell stretcher successfully mimics dynamic mechanical loading conditions.
• The device allows for simultaneous stretching of multiple substrates, facilitating comparative studies.
• Proof-of-concept experiments confirmed YAP pathway activation in response to increased cytoskeletal tension.

Conclusions:

• The open-source cell stretcher is a cost-effective tool for studying cell mechanics.
• The device is suitable for investigating complex mechano-biological processes and signaling pathways.
• This technology supports multi-batch biological studies and microscopic image analysis.