© RPE1 cells migrating through 3µm microchannels

Endoplasmic reticulum

Actin

Small Spaces, Big Discoveries

Studying how confinement shapes migration, mechanics, and fate—decoding cell behavior in tight spaces.

"Squeezed, but thriving"

— The cells, probably

About CML

The Confinement Mechanobiology lab pursues research that is an interdisciplinary fusion of mechanobiology, tissue engineering, microfluidics, and nanotechnology, with an end goal of discovering and utilizing the unknown molecular mechanisms underlying mechanosensitive migratory stem cell differentiation. This step forward from the current paradigm of stem cell differentiation as a mostly biochemical process has an untapped potential to unlock future basic and applied research applications in biophysics, stem cell biology, and tissue engineering.

Coach explaining stuff to an athlete
0+

Years of decoding cellular confinement

0+

Lab members

0+

Publications

0+

Hours of science

Primordial Germ Cells (PGCs)

© Primordial germ cells (PGCs) migrating in somite stage zebrafish embryo

Nuclei

  • Confined

    Cell Migration

    Investigate how cells navigate confined microenvironments using in vitro platforms, with a focus on how mechanical cues encountered during migration impact fundamental processes such as cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation.

  • Stem cells hold immense potential for regenerative medicine and personalised therapies, making insights into their mechanisms essential for advancing future treatments. At CML, we investigate how confinement and confined migration regulate key cellular processes in stem cells, focusing on how these physical cues influence their development, differentiation, and specialization into distinct cell lineages using different 3D confining platforms.

    Stem Cell Mechanobiology

  • Cancer Cell Mechanobiology

    With the rising global incidence of diverse cancers, understanding how they develop and progress is crucial for advancing the design of effective therapies. At CML, we stimulate cancer cell migration and metastasis using 3D confining platforms like microchannel chips and investigate how cancer cells navigate tight spaces and how physical and mechanical cues regulate their underlying cellular mechanisms.

  • Fibroblast

    Mechanobiology

    Fibroblasts play a vital role in wound healing by migrating to wound sites, facilitating tissue repair, depositing new extracellular matrix, and contributing to scar formation. At CML, we examine how confined migration influences fibroblast activation and explore the effects on their cellular mechanisms using 3D confining microchannel systems.

  • T-cell

    Mechanobiology

    T cells are specialised white blood cells that play a central role in the adaptive immune system, protecting the body against infections and disease. At CML, we investigate how T cells adapt to physical confinement and navigate constricted microenvironments using 3D confinement platforms.

  • Confinement

    Platforms

    Confinement platforms provide controlled in vitro models that recreate the physical constraints cells encounter within living tissues. At CML, we design, develop and optimise 3D confinement systems, including microchannel devices, to precisely investigate how confining mechanical cues influence cell migration, morphology, gene expression, and cellular function.

Research Areas

Drone shot of a running track at night

Become part of the CML story

Put your potential under pressure—just like our cells.

Join the Team

Get in Touch

CML Coordinates:

Mechanobiology Institute

5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411