Lim Group, Ladoux Group

SAW Thuan Beng

Alumni, Research Associate, Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore

mbistb@nus.edu.sg
Level 9 T-Lab
National University of Singapore
5A Engineering Drive 1
Singapore 117411

Is Mechanosensing an Active Process?

Is Mechanosensing an Active Process?Types of MechanosensingWhen a cell periodically tests its external environment, a mechanical signal is converted to a chemical signal across the cell membrane. Adhesion receptors located on the external cell membrane [...]

By Management|Nov 30th, 2023|Categories: About Mechanobiology, MBInfo|Comments Off on Is Mechanosensing an Active Process?

What types of forces do cells encounter?

What types of forces do cells encounter?Cells and subcellular structures experience forces from a variety of sources. In general, forces are developed from within the cell via the cytoskeleton (endogenous forces) or come from outside [...]

By Management|Nov 30th, 2023|Categories: About Mechanobiology, MBInfo|Comments Off on What types of forces do cells encounter?

How does the cytoskeleton transmit mechanical forces?

How does the cytoskeleton transmit mechanical forces?It is clear that mechanical forces and structural cues influence cell behavior by regulating signal processes. These signals go on to alter gene expression and reorganize the cytoskeleton and [...]

By Management|Nov 30th, 2023|Categories: About Mechanobiology, MBInfo|Comments Off on How does the cytoskeleton transmit mechanical forces?

How do Focal Adhesions Facilitate Mechanosensing?

How do Focal Adhesions Facilitate Mechanosensing?Focal adhesions are known to sense both chemical and physical properties of their matrix environment. Chemical sensing is mediated by the different types of receptors that may function additively, synergistically [...]

By Management|Nov 30th, 2023|Categories: About Mechanobiology, MBInfo|Comments Off on How do Focal Adhesions Facilitate Mechanosensing?

How are forces transduced in a cellular environment?

How are forces transduced in a cellular environment?The application of the tensegrity, semiflexible chain and dipole polarization models to biological scenarios has proven most successful in the case of the tensegrity hypothesis (as reviewed in [...]

By Management|Nov 30th, 2023|Categories: About Mechanobiology, MBInfo|Comments Off on How are forces transduced in a cellular environment?

The Cell

The CellCells are the basic units of life; small machines that facilitate and sustain every process within a living organism. Muscle cells contract to maintain a heartbeat and allow us to move, neurons form networks [...]

By Management|Nov 30th, 2023|Categories: About Mechanobiology, MBInfo|Comments Off on The Cell

Saw Thuan Beng

Alumni, Research Associate

Principal Investigator

CT Lim, Benoit Ladoux

Research Interests

Molecular Mechanisms of Mechanobiology

Recent Publications

  1. Jiang X, Xu P, Feng F, Grenci G, and Saw TB. Revealing Electromechanical Control of Tissue Homeostasis Using a Two-Layer Microfluidic Device. J Vis Exp 2025;(223). [PMID: 41052031]
  2. Wang Y, Wang Y, Zhu Y, Yu P, Zhou F, Zhang A, Gu Y, Jin R, Li J, Zheng F, Yu A, Ye D, Xu Y, Liu Y, Saw TB, Hu G, Lim CT, and Yu F. Angiomotin cleavage promotes leader formation and collective cell migration. Dev Cell 2024;. [PMID: 39389053]
  3. Delanoë-Ayari H, Hiraiwa T, Marcq P, Rieu J, and Saw TB. 2.5D Traction Force Microscopy: Imaging three-dimensional cell forces at interfaces and biological applications. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2023;:106432. [PMID: 37290687]
  4. . https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36103541
  5. Balasubramaniam L, Doostmohammadi A, Saw TB, Narayana GHNS, Mueller R, Dang T, Thomas M, Gupta S, Sonam S, Yap AS, Toyama Y, Mège R, Yeomans JM, and Ladoux B. Author Correction: Investigating the nature of active forces in tissues reveals how contractile cells can form extensile monolayers. Nat Mater 2021;. [PMID: 33750921]
  6. Balasubramaniam L, Doostmohammadi A, Saw TB, Narayana GHNS, Mueller R, Dang T, Thomas M, Gupta S, Sonam S, Yap AS, Toyama Y, Mège R, Yeomans JM, and Ladoux B. Investigating the nature of active forces in tissues reveals how contractile cells can form extensile monolayers. Nat Mater 2021;. [PMID: 33603188]
  7. Teo JL, Lim CT, Yap AS, and Saw TB. A Biologist's Guide to Traction Force Microscopy Using Polydimethylsiloxane Substrate for Two-Dimensional Cell Cultures. STAR Protoc 2020; 1(2):100098. [PMID: 33111126]
  8. Chen T, Saw TB, Mège R, and Ladoux B. Mechanical forces in cell monolayers. J. Cell. Sci. 2018; 131(24). [PMID: 30573527]
  9. Saw TB, Xi W, Ladoux B, and Lim CT. Biological Tissues as Active Nematic Liquid Crystals. Adv. Mater. Weinheim 2018;:e1802579. [PMID: 30156334]
  10. Saw TB, Doostmohammadi A, Nier V, Kocgozlu L, Thampi S, Toyama Y, Marcq P, Lim CT, Yeomans JM, and Ladoux B. Topological defects in epithelia govern cell death and extrusion. Nature 2017; 544(7649):212-216. [PMID: 28406198]
By Management|2018-01-22T15:53:47+08:00Apr 25th, 2017|Categories: Alumni|Comments Off on Saw Thuan Beng

About the National University of Singapore

About NUSA leading global university centred in Asia, NUS is Singapore's flagship university, offering a global approach to education and research with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise.

About the Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore

About MBIOne of four Research Centres of Excellence at NUS, MBI is working to identify, measure and describe how the forces for motility and morphogenesis are expressed at the molecular, cellular and tissue level.
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