Biomedical Engineering Society: BMES Guest Speaker

Join us for a guest speaker presentation by Dr. Nasim Nosoudi

Topic: Mechanobiology of Cell Electrospraying: Calcium Signaling as a Driver of Stem Cell Fate and Cellular Remodeling

Description: Electrospraying of living cells has emerged as a powerful biophysical approach for manipulating cell behavior without relying on exogenous biochemical factors. Our research investigates how electrical and mechanical forces generated during electrospraying influence cellular signaling, metabolism, and differentiation. We demonstrate that electrospraying of human adipose-derived stem cells triggers rapid membrane depolarization and extracellular ATP release, initiating purinergic signaling cascades that drive intracellular calcium influx and endoplasmic reticulum calcium release. These calcium dynamics activate downstream signaling pathways including PKCδ and p38 MAPK, which collectively promote cytoskeletal remodeling and early commitment toward chondrogenic differentiation in the absence of growth factors. Beyond stem cell mechanobiology, our group explores complementary biomaterial strategies to support regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. These include the development of electrospun cellulose (nano-cotton) nanofibers as sustainable biomimetic scaffolds, investigation of polyphenol-mediated elastin regeneration for vascular and dermal repair, and integration of electrosprayed cell spheroids with biomaterial carriers for cartilage regeneration. In parallel, we apply machine learning and health analytics to predict disease risk and injury outcomes, enabling data-driven approaches to personalized healthcare. Together, these interdisciplinary efforts aim to uncover how physical forces, biomaterials, and computational analysis can be integrated to regulate cellular behavior and develop scalable regenerative therapies.