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
ZHAO Jiayu
PhD Student, Class of August 2025, Kanchanawong Group
YAN Chengrui
PhD Student, Class of August 2025, Yan Jie Group
NGUYEN Dinh Thach Lam
PhD Student, Class of August 2025, Hirashima Group
Miguel SOON Jun Yi
PhD Student, Class of August 2025, Low Group
LYU Min
PhD Student, Class of August 2025, Lim Group
HOANG Mai Thanh Truc
PhD Student, Class of August 2025, 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 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Young & Thibault Laboratories at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
The Mechanobiology Institute, NUS seeks to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to Asst. Prof. Jennifer Young's lab.
An early Christmas dinner to celebrate Chan Lab’s accomplishments in 2023!
As the year draws to a close, the Chan Lab celebrated the achievements and contributions by everyone (including many new faces!) in 2023 with an early Christmas dinner, and to thank them for their hard work this busy year. The Lab looks forward to more wonderful things to come in 2024!
What is Mechanobiology?
What is Mechanobiology?Mechanobiology describes how physical factors, such as forces and mechanics, are able to influence biological systems at the molecular, cellular, and tissue level. The fundamental process which drives mechanobiology is mechanotransduction, the ability [...]
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 [...]
How is Energy Transferred Across the Cellular System?
How is Energy Transferred Across the Cellular System?Cellular systems function at a nanometer level and use a highly dynamic set of components. Both of these factors act as primary constraints that prevent the generation of [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Protein Localization
Protein LocalizationIn order for subcellular processes to be carried out within defined compartments or cellular regions, mechanisms must exist to ensure the required protein components are present at the sites and at an adequate concentration. [...]
Spatiotemporal control of DNA, RNA, protein and lipid synthesis
Spatiotemporal control of DNA, RNA, protein and lipid synthesisIn eukaryotes, synthesis of DNA, RNA, proteins and lipids is performed in a spatiotemporal manner. Each molecule is produced within specialized organelles or compartments with strict regulatory [...]
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 [...]
Former Lab Members
Seeking Postdoctoral Fellow in the Young & Thibault Laboratories at the Mechanobiology Institute, NUS
The Mechanobiology Institute, NUS seeks to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to Asst. Prof. Jennifer Young's lab.
An early Christmas dinner to celebrate Chan Lab’s accomplishments in 2023!
As the year draws to a close, the Chan Lab celebrated the achievements and contributions by everyone (including many new faces!) in 2023 with an early Christmas dinner, and to thank them for their hard work this busy year. The Lab looks forward to more wonderful things to come in 2024!
What is Mechanobiology?
What is Mechanobiology?Mechanobiology describes how physical factors, such as forces and mechanics, are able to influence biological systems at the molecular, cellular, and tissue level. The fundamental process which drives mechanobiology is mechanotransduction, the ability [...]
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 [...]
How is Energy Transferred Across the Cellular System?
How is Energy Transferred Across the Cellular System?Cellular systems function at a nanometer level and use a highly dynamic set of components. Both of these factors act as primary constraints that prevent the generation of [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Protein Localization
Protein LocalizationIn order for subcellular processes to be carried out within defined compartments or cellular regions, mechanisms must exist to ensure the required protein components are present at the sites and at an adequate concentration. [...]
Spatiotemporal control of DNA, RNA, protein and lipid synthesis
Spatiotemporal control of DNA, RNA, protein and lipid synthesisIn eukaryotes, synthesis of DNA, RNA, proteins and lipids is performed in a spatiotemporal manner. Each molecule is produced within specialized organelles or compartments with strict regulatory [...]
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 [...]
