
Benoit LADOUX
Visiting Faculty, Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Research Director, Université Paris Diderot & Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Laboratory website
Cell Adhesion and Mechanics Lab
Research Program
Mechanotransduction in Tissues Group
Affiliations
Research Director, Université Paris Diderot & Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Seeking Research Assistant in the labs of Dr. Natalie Dye and Dr. Alphée Michelot at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
We are seeking a Research Assistant to join the labs of Dr. Natalie Dye and Dr. Alphée Michelot at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS.
Seeking Research Fellow in the lab of Prof. Rong Li at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
We are seeking a Research Fellow to join the lab of Prof. Rong Li at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
Seeking Research Fellow in the lab of Dr. Anne Beghin at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
We are seeking a Research Fellow to join the lab of Dr. Anne Beghin at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
Seeking Scientific Communicator at the Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore
The Mechanobiology Institute (MBI), National University of Singapore (NUS), seeks to recruit a Scientific Communicator.
Melvino Sin
Senior Laboratory Executive, SIMBA
Seeking Research Fellow in Dr Alphée Michelot’s Group at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
We are seeking to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the group of Dr Alphée Michelot at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS.
Benoit Ladoux
Visiting Faculty
Research Areas
Epithelial cell migration; microfabrication for cell mechanics; influence of the mechanical environments on cell functions; mechanotransduction
Research Interests
Our research aims at understanding how living organisms interact with their environment. In particular, we are studying the cooperation between adhesion, biomechanical and biochemical signaling for the adaptation of living organisms to changes in their environment. To probe these questions, our laboratory has developed a repertoire of micro- and nano-fabrication tools to control and measure the chemical and mechanical environment of cells. Our research programme thus focuses on the integration of novel microfabricated devices for the quantitative imaging of living organisms.
Biography
With a background in Physics, Prof Ladoux started his career at Curie Institute working on single molecule biophysics. He worked on two main problems combining statistical physics, microfabrication and molecular biology: 1) chromatin condensation in real time; 2) fluctuations of a single polymer under shear flows. After a post-doc on cell mechanics, he used his knowledge in biophysics and microfabrication to start a new subject on mechanical studies of cell migration and adhesion at the University Paris Diderot. He developed microsystems to characterise the mechanical interactions of cells with their migration support. He is currently working on rigidity sensing, collective cell migration and tissue homeostasis.
Recent Publications
- Shiratsuchi N, Fujita Y, Simon de Beco , Daubech C, Ladoux B, Grata A, Levayer R, Magny E, O'Brien LE, Priya R, Mitchell SJ, Rosenblatt J, Rupprecht J, Stockmann L, Sedzinski J, Roquin L, Suzanne M, Toyama Y, Matekcic M, Trepat X, Vinzens S, Wickström SA, Lwin AKO, and Yap AS. Meeting report - CellExIt#1, the first international symposium on cell extrusion. J Cell Sci 2026; 139(14). [PMID: 42504880]
- Balasubramaniam L, Monfared S, Ardaševa A, Rosse C, Schoenit A, Dang T, Maric C, Hautefeuille M, Kocgozlu L, Chilupuri R, Dubey S, Marangoni E, L Doss B, Chavrier P, Mège R, Doostmohammadi A, and Ladoux B. Dynamic forces shape the survival fate of eliminated cells. Nat Phys 2025;. [PMID: 40636322]
- Kawaue T, Yow I, Pan Y, Le AP, Lou Y, Loberas M, Shagirov M, Teng X, Prost J, Hiraiwa T, Ladoux B, and Toyama Y. Inhomogeneous mechanotransduction defines the spatial pattern of apoptosis-induced compensatory proliferation. Dev Cell 2023;. [PMID: 36800994]
- Sonam S, Balasubramaniam L, Lin S, Ivan YMY, Jaumà IP, Jebane C, Karnat M, Toyama Y, Marcq P, Prost J, Mège R, Rupprecht J, and Ladoux B. Mechanical stress driven by rigidity sensing governs epithelial stability. Nat Phys 2022; 19:132-141. [PMID: 36686215]
- Rose N, Estrada Chavez B, Sonam S, Nguyen T, Grenci G, Bigot A, Muchir A, Ladoux B, Cadot B, Le Grand F, and Trichet L. Bioengineering a miniaturized in vitro 3D myotube contraction monitoring chip to model muscular dystrophies. Biomaterials 2022; 293:121935. [PMID: 36584444]
- . https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36103541
- Yang Y, Nguyen E, Sankara Narayana GHN, Heuzé M, Fu C, Yu H, Mège R, Ladoux B, and Sheetz MP. Local contractions regulate E-cadherin rigidity sensing. Sci Adv 2022; 8(4):eabk0387. [PMID: 35089785]
- . https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33850145
- Latorre E, Kale S, Casares L, Gómez-González M, Uroz M, Valon L, Nair RV, Garreta E, Montserrat N, Del Campo A, Ladoux B, Arroyo M, and Trepat X. Addendum: Active superelasticity in three-dimensional epithelia of controlled shape. Nature 2021;. [PMID: 33846613]
- 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]
Lab Members
What are Blebs?
What are Blebs? Blebs are blister-like protrusions that occur at the cell surface (reviewed in [1]). Blebs form, and function, in a series of defined steps. They typically grow to a length of around [...]
How do blebs expand and retract?
How do blebs expand? Expansion lasts between 5 to 30 seconds, following bleb initiation and preceding reformation of the cortical actomyosin cytoskeleton just beneath the membrane [1]. During this time, the bleb proceeds to [...]
What are filopodia?
What are filopodia? Filopodia (singular filopodium) are thin membrane protrusions that act as antennae for a cell to probe the surrounding environment [1][2][3]. Nonprotruding filopodia are mechanistically related to microspikes [4]. Filopodia are commonly [...]
What is the first step in filopodium formation?
What is the first step in filopodium formation? Actin nucleation initiates filopodium formation The first step in the formation of a filopodium is the nucleation of actin filaments from G-actin monomers. This is facilitated [...]
How does cross-linking of actin filaments aid in filopodia extension?
How does cross-linking of actin filaments aid in filopodia extension? Once nucleation has taken place, actin filaments begin to extend. This process is primarily facilitated by members of the formin family of proteins, however [...]
How do filopodia attach to the surrounding substrate?
How do filopodia attach to the surrounding substrate? A diverse array of cellular responses can result when a filopodium makes contact with a ligand or substrate. These responses are dependent on the coupling of [...]
How do filopodia move dynamically?
What causes filopodia retraction and collapse? Binding of filopodia to certain ligands or substratum may hinder filament assembly, thereby leading to changes that promote retraction, collapse or growth cone turning [1][2]. For example, substrate [...]
What are lamellipodia and lamella?
What are lamellipodia and lamella? The lamellipodia and lamella are plate-like extensions of the cell that play crucial roles in both cell motility and migration, and mechanosensing. These structures form and function over distinct [...]
How do filopodia pull on a substrate?
How do filopodia pull on a substrate? Although a reterograde motion of actin filaments is intrinsic in the formation of filopodia, the forces generated by actin treadmilling are too weak to facilitate the “pulling” [...]
How do focal adhesions act as molecular clutches in lamellipodia?
How do focal adhesions act as molecular clutches in lamellipodia? Once formed, focal adhesions essentially act as “molecular clutches”, promoting protrusion at the leading edge whilst suppressing membrane contraction (reviewed in [1] [2][3]). Adhesions [...]
How does nucleation of actin initiate lamellipodia formation?
How does nucleation of actin initiate lamellipodia formation? In the first phase of lamellipodia formation, actin filament polymerization produces a protrusive force on the cell membrane that promotes the spreading out and enlargement of [...]
What steps are involved in Lamellipodia assembly?
What steps are involved in Lamellipodia assembly? The lamellipodia is a distinct region of the cell that facilitates cell motility and various mechanosensing mechanisms. Lamellipodium assembly can be described in a series of defined [...]

