Gianluca GRENCI
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore
Facility Manager, Nano and Microfabrication Core
mbigg@nus.edu.sg
Level 10 T-Lab
National University of Singapore
5A Engineering Drive 1
Singapore 117411
Seeking Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the research group of Dr. Tsuyoshi Hirashima at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
We are seeking to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the research group of Dr. Tsuyoshi Hirashima at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS.
How Dying Cells Signal Growth: Mechanical Forces Drive Targeted Cell Proliferation after Apoptosis
Researchers from the Toyama Lab at MBI reveal how mechanical factors control apoptosis and cell replacement.
Scientists Develop AI-Driven Tool to Map 3D Cellular Landscapes
Researchers from the Beghin Lab at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS combine DeepStar3D algorithm and 3DCellScope interface to develop an experimental tool for real-time interaction with cell data.
Seeking Research Assistant in Transmission Electron Microscopy at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
We are seeking a Research Assistant in Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
Seeking Research Fellow in Transmission Electron Microscopy at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
We are seeking a Research Fellow in Transmission Electron Microscopy at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
Hu Yuqi
Research Assistant, Yu Group
Gianluca Grenci
Research Assistant Professor, Facility Manager
Research Interests
Microfluidics, Micro-optical systems for live cell imaging
Our laboratory is primarily interested in the application of micro/nano fabrication technology to biological science. We exploit standard and advanced micro-fabrication tools in order to design and produce systems and devices for cell culturing and imaging. Examples of such devices are: topographically and/or chemically micro-textured environments, microfluidic devices, micro-optical systems and more.
We are also interested in developing microfluidic devices for FTIR spectromicroscopy of living cells. FTIR is an imaging technique that is intrinsically label-free and requires minimal sample preparation; when coupled with microscopy and high brilliance IR sources it allows the acquisition of chemical maps at a resolution which is diffraction limited. Absorption of IR photons induces very low or no damage at all, therefore it is in principle possible to observe for prolonged time the behaviour of living cells. Our research activity is intended to develope microfludic platforms suitable for FTIR (key parameters are optical transparency and low IR absorption) while keeping cells alive and healthy; a beneficial feature provided by micro-fabrication approach is the possibility to control of the chemical environment at the micro-scale.
Research Areas
Micro/nano engineering, microfluidic, FTIR
Biography
Dr Gianluca Grenci joined MBI in 2012 as a research fellow and head of the Micro Fabrication Core facility. Previously he was employed at the LILIT micro/nano fabrication group (IOM-CNR, Trieste, IT) for a total of 6 years, during which he was mainly involved in the design and fabrication of microfluidic devices for synchrotron-light related spectroscopic techniques, such as SAXS and FTIR. He thus developed extensive practical knowledge on all the major lithographic technologies (UV and EB lithography, wet/dry etching, soft-lithography, thin films deposition), plus some less usual and/or more advanced technique, such as X-ray Lithography and LIGA.
He did his PhD in the field of applied superconductivity, in a project aimed to develop a current cryo-comparator (CCC) using high critical temperature superconductors of the cuprate family (YBCO) in the form of a thick film deposited onto a large area, complex shaped silver substrate.
Education
PhD Polytechnic of Torino, DISPEA
Recent Publications
- Zhang Z, Canela A, Kurisu J, Zou P, Kawaue T, Nakazawa N, Takeda N, Saeki M, Utsunomiya M, Bilgic M, Ishidate F, Grenci G, Furuta T, Kishi Y, Sasanuma H, and Kengaku M. Confined migration induces non-lethal DNA damage in developing neurons. Nature 2026;. [PMID: 42310452]
- Gandin A, Torresan V, Panciera T, Grenci G, Vanni G, Citron A, Marchionni M, Battilana G, Pelosin M, Busetto R, Piccolo S, and Brusatin G. Flexible high-resolution ECM micropatterning. Nat Protoc 2026;. [PMID: 42129485]
- Dunsing-Eichenauer V, Hummert J, Chardès C, Schönau T, Guignard L, Galland R, Grenci G, Tillmann M, Koberling F, Nock C, Sibarita J, Viasnoff V, Antolovic IM, Erdmann R, and Lenne P. Fast volumetric fluorescence lifetime imaging of multicellular systems using single-objective light-sheet microscopy. Commun Biol 2025;. [PMID: 41315677]
- 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]
- Cabillic M, Forriere H, Bettarel L, Butler C, Neuhaus A, Idrissi I, Sambrano-Lopez ME, Rossbroich J, Müller L, Ries J, Grenci G, Viasnoff V, Levet F, Sibarita J, and Galland R. In-depth single molecule localization microscopy using adaptive optics and single objective light-sheet microscopy. Nat Commun 2025; 16(1):8362. [PMID: 40993142]
- Mu B, Rutkowski DM, Grenci G, Vavylonis D, and Zhang D. Ca2+-dependent vesicular and non-vesicular lipid transfer controls hypoosmotic plasma membrane expansion. BMC Biol 2025; 23(1):207. [PMID: 40629316]
- Ong HT, Karatas E, Poquillon T, Grenci G, Furlan A, Dilasser F, Mohamad Raffi SB, Blanc D, Drimaracci E, Mikec D, Galisot G, Johnson BA, Liu AZ, Thiel C, Ullrich O, , Racine V, and Beghin A. Digitalized organoids: integrated pipeline for high-speed 3D analysis of organoid structures using multilevel segmentation and cellular topology. Nat Methods 2025;. [PMID: 40369245]
- Arora A, Rizvi MS, Grenci G, Dilasser F, Fu C, Ganguly M, Vaishnavi S, Paramsivam K, Budnar S, Noordstra I, Yap AS, and Viasnoff V. Viscous dissipation in the rupture of cell-cell contacts. Nat Mater 2025;. [PMID: 40355570]
- Nakazawa N, Grenci G, Kameo Y, Takeda N, Sawada T, Kurisu J, Zhang Z, Toma K, Adachi T, Nonomura K, and Kengaku M. PIEZO1-dependent mode switch of neuronal migration in heterogeneous microenvironments in the developing brain. Cell Rep 2025; 44(3):115405. [PMID: 40053456]
- Suryana M, Produit T, Yang H, Birarda G, Shanmugar JV, Krivitsky L, Paterova A, and Grenci G. Infrared imaging with visible light in microfluidic devices: the water absorption barrier. Analyst 2024;. [PMID: 39692693]
Selected Publications
- Mona Suryana, Jegan V. Shanmugarajah, Sivakumar M. Maniam, Gianluca Grenci. Soft Lithographic Procedure for Producing Plastic Microfluidic Devices with View-ports Transparent to Visible and Infrared Light
- Mohammed Ashraf, Sree V. Sundararajan, Gianluca Grenci. Low-power, low-pressure reactive-ion etching process for silicon etching with vertical and smooth walls for mechanobiology application
Lab Members
Seeking Research Assistant in Assoc. Prof. Low Boon Chuan’s Lab at MBI, NUS
We seek to recruit a Research Assistant in Assoc Prof. Low Boon Chuan's Lab at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS.
Joe shares latest work on ovarian mechanobiology at the ACRLE Conference 2024
Joe presents the lab's latest work on murine ovary elasticity at the ACRLE Conference 2024.
Lingyu Sun
Research Fellow, Yu Group
Thanh Phuong Nguyen
Research Fellow, Hirashima Group
Anwesha Guru
Research Fellow, Young Group
Yong Yuen Chee Carmen
Research Assistant, Low Group
Farewell to Lou Yuting!
Farewell to Yuting - we will miss you dearly! All the best in your next endeavor as an independent researcher!
The Chan Lab heads MBI’s Outreach to Raffles Girls’ School!
Over the March school holidays, the Chan Lab headed MBI's Outreach to a group of students from Raffles Girls' School comprising talks and lab demonstrations by MBI's core staff, students and researchers.
Sriram Muthukumar
Research Fellow, Holle Group
Espérance Nku-Mokabo
Research Associate, Grenci Group
Xiaohong Yao
Research Fellow, Li Group
Seeking Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the research group of Dr. Tsuyoshi Hirashima at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
We are seeking to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the research group of Dr. Tsuyoshi Hirashima at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS.
Former Lab Members
Seeking Research Assistant in Assoc. Prof. Low Boon Chuan’s Lab at MBI, NUS
We seek to recruit a Research Assistant in Assoc Prof. Low Boon Chuan's Lab at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS.
Joe shares latest work on ovarian mechanobiology at the ACRLE Conference 2024
Joe presents the lab's latest work on murine ovary elasticity at the ACRLE Conference 2024.
Lingyu Sun
Research Fellow, Yu Group
Thanh Phuong Nguyen
Research Fellow, Hirashima Group
Anwesha Guru
Research Fellow, Young Group
Yong Yuen Chee Carmen
Research Assistant, Low Group
Farewell to Lou Yuting!
Farewell to Yuting - we will miss you dearly! All the best in your next endeavor as an independent researcher!
The Chan Lab heads MBI’s Outreach to Raffles Girls’ School!
Over the March school holidays, the Chan Lab headed MBI's Outreach to a group of students from Raffles Girls' School comprising talks and lab demonstrations by MBI's core staff, students and researchers.
Sriram Muthukumar
Research Fellow, Holle Group
Espérance Nku-Mokabo
Research Associate, Grenci Group
Xiaohong Yao
Research Fellow, Li Group
Seeking Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the research group of Dr. Tsuyoshi Hirashima at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
We are seeking to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the research group of Dr. Tsuyoshi Hirashima at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS.
