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
What are the first steps in invadopodia assembly and disassembly?
What is the first step in invadopodia assembly? Initiation of invadopdia formation is highly complex, being influenced by various signalling cascades and phosphorylation events that occur following detection of a stimulant. For example, activation [...]
What are podosomes?
What are podosomes? Podosomes are actin-rich, adhesive structures that are present at the ventral surface of cells of the monocytic myeloid lineage, stimulated endothelial cells [1] and cultured Src-transformed cancer cells. These structures are [...]
What are the functions of podosomes?
What are the functions of podosomes? Both focal adhesions and podosomes are intimately involved in cell motility, with podosomes specifically implicated in cell invasion. Invasiveness is achieved through the secretion of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) [...]
What is the first step in podosome assembly?
What is the first step in podosome assembly? Podosome initiation and assembly is highly regulated, both spatially and temporally. Dendritic cells best exemplify the temporal regulation of podosome formation. Following activation by an antigen [...]
What is the function of stress fibers?
What is the function of stress fibers? Stress fibers are contractile in nature. By exerting and maintaining tension on the underlying substratum, they form a key element of the mechanotransduction apparatus that links the [...]
What mechanisms drive invadopodia extension?
What mechanisms drive invadopodia extension? Following initiation by an appropriate signal, the actin cytoskeleton is reorganized to facilitate invadopodia formation. Although several kinases and GTPases are known to influence the transduction of extracellular signaling [...]
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
Wang Haiyang
Senior Research Fellow, Li Group
The mechanical editor
A recent study led by Dr. Shaobo Zhang and MBI Principal Investigator Associate Professor Timothy Saunders describes how periodic filopodial retraction caused by the contractile activity of transient Myosin II clusters at the cell leading edge ensures precise matching between primitive heart cells during heart development in Drosophila embryos. Learn more
A molecular brake
Recent study led by MBI Research Fellows Pan Meng and Ti Weng Chew and Principal Investigator Associate Professor Low Boon Chuan has revealed a role for BNIP-2 protein in scaffolding GEF-H1 and RhoA, following microtubule disassembly, and has described how this scaffolding is important for RhoA-dependent regulation of cell migration. Learn more
MBI is seeking applications from outstanding candidates for faculty positions
MBI is seeking candidates with a commitment to both independent and collaborative interdisciplinary research for multiple tenure-track faculty positions at all levels.
MBI welcomes new Principal Investigator, Chii Jou Chan
MBI would like to welcome Chii Jou (Joe) Chan as a new Principal Investigator starting in January 2021, with a joint appointment as Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Science, NUS.
Building new research partnerships: MBI welcomes Michael Leverentz
At MBI, Mike will take on the role of Research Resource Strategist in the Director’s Team.
Muhammad Faris Hazwan Bin Ramli
PhD Student, Class of August 2021, Young Group
Guo Su
Research Fellow, Viasnoff Group
Julien Aureille
Research Fellow, Bershadsky Group
Random control of biological signalling
A collaboration between scientists from MBI and the Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria has revealed how Rab proteins act as molecular switches inside the cell to regulate signalling during intracellular trafficking. Learn more
Roshni Gupta
Research Assistant, Li Group
Lou Yuting
Research Fellow, Chan Group
Former Lab Members
Wang Haiyang
Senior Research Fellow, Li Group
The mechanical editor
A recent study led by Dr. Shaobo Zhang and MBI Principal Investigator Associate Professor Timothy Saunders describes how periodic filopodial retraction caused by the contractile activity of transient Myosin II clusters at the cell leading edge ensures precise matching between primitive heart cells during heart development in Drosophila embryos. Learn more
A molecular brake
Recent study led by MBI Research Fellows Pan Meng and Ti Weng Chew and Principal Investigator Associate Professor Low Boon Chuan has revealed a role for BNIP-2 protein in scaffolding GEF-H1 and RhoA, following microtubule disassembly, and has described how this scaffolding is important for RhoA-dependent regulation of cell migration. Learn more
MBI is seeking applications from outstanding candidates for faculty positions
MBI is seeking candidates with a commitment to both independent and collaborative interdisciplinary research for multiple tenure-track faculty positions at all levels.
MBI welcomes new Principal Investigator, Chii Jou Chan
MBI would like to welcome Chii Jou (Joe) Chan as a new Principal Investigator starting in January 2021, with a joint appointment as Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Science, NUS.
Building new research partnerships: MBI welcomes Michael Leverentz
At MBI, Mike will take on the role of Research Resource Strategist in the Director’s Team.
Muhammad Faris Hazwan Bin Ramli
PhD Student, Class of August 2021, Young Group
Guo Su
Research Fellow, Viasnoff Group
Julien Aureille
Research Fellow, Bershadsky Group
Random control of biological signalling
A collaboration between scientists from MBI and the Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria has revealed how Rab proteins act as molecular switches inside the cell to regulate signalling during intracellular trafficking. Learn more
Roshni Gupta
Research Assistant, Li Group
Lou Yuting
Research Fellow, Chan Group
