aVLMN03 Mechanobiology

Faculty of Medicine
autumn 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/1. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Synchronous online teaching
Teacher(s)
Bacel Aldabash (seminar tutor)
prof. RNDr. Michal Masařík, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Gokula Narayanan Suryanarayanan (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Pavel Šimara, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Bc. Vladimír Vinarský, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Michal Masařík, Ph.D.
International Clinical Research Center – Institutions shared with St. Anne's Faculty Hospital – Faculty of Medicine
Contact Person: Mgr. Pavel Šimara, Ph.D.
Supplier department: International Clinical Research Center – Institutions shared with St. Anne's Faculty Hospital – Faculty of Medicine
Timetable
Tue 16. 9. 13:00–13:50 B11/327, Tue 23. 9. 13:00–13:50 B11/327, Tue 30. 9. 13:00–13:50 B11/327, Tue 7. 10. 13:00–13:50 B11/327, Tue 14. 10. 13:00–13:50 B11/327, Tue 21. 10. 13:00–13:50 B11/327, Tue 4. 11. 13:00–13:50 B11/327, Tue 11. 11. 13:00–13:50 B11/327, Tue 18. 11. 13:00–13:50 B11/327, Tue 25. 11. 13:00–13:50 B11/327, Tue 9. 12. 13:00–13:50 B11/327, Tue 16. 12. 13:00–13:50 B11/327
Prerequisites
aVLBI0222p Medical Biology II - lect. || aZLBI0222p Biology II-lect. || VLBI0222p Biology II-lect. || ZLBI0222p Biology II-lect. || PřF:Bi1700 Cell Biology
A basic knowledge of the cellular and molecular biology are useful prerequisities for this subject.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
An ability to sense external mechanical stimuli is a fundamental property of life. All cells retain intrinsic mechanism for sensing the mechanical properties of the environment. Objective of this course is to give a basic overview of the principles of mechanobiology that are crucial for both physiological and pathological processes in human.
Learning outcomes
A student will gain a basic knowledge of the role of the environmental mechanical stimuli to morphology and function of human cells and organs. These mechanisms are crucial for both physiological and pathological processes in human.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction to mechanobiology
  • Definition of mechanobiology and focus of the research
  • Brief history of mechanobiology
  • 2. Molecular basis of mechanobiology
  • Cellular part
  • Extracellular part
  • 3. Mechanical signalling in mechanobiology
  • Key signalling pathways
  • Nuclear mechanotransduction
  • 4. Mechanobiology in early embryo development
  • Stem cell fate
  • Cell type specification
  • 5. Mechanosignalling in cardiomyocytes
  • Mechanosensing pathways in the heart cells
  • 6. The effect of mechanical stimuli on RNA-splicing
  • Introduction to RNA-splicing
  • Mechanosensitive RNA-splicing in disease
  • 7. Mechanosignalling in disease I
  • Cancer
  • 8. Mechanosignalling in disease II
  • Fibrosis, atherosclerosis, hypertension
  • 9. Mechanosignalling in disease III
  • Muscular dystrophies
  • 10. Techniques for mechanobiology research
  • Principles of methods and examples of results
  • 11. Real World Science I
  • Invited speaker I
  • 12. Real World Science II
  • Invited speaker II
Teaching methods
The course is taught by scientists with many years of experience in the field of Mechanobiology, including two guest lecturers. 50mins presetations include references to the literature and examples from our own original research projects. All presentations will be available to download in the form of pdf.
Assessment methods
Credits are awarded for presence in the classes with maximum of 2 absences. If a student has 3 or more absences, will write a test (MCQ; a/b/c/d) with one chance to resit.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
General note: The course is taught if there is minimum of 3 students.
Teacher's information
https://www.fnusa-icrc.org/en/research/research-teams/pre-clinical-research/mechanobiology-of-disease/
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/med/autumn2025/aVLMN03