IBB Seminar
"Mechanobiology-inspired Antithrombotic Strategies and Point-of-care Microtechnologies" - Lining (Arnold) Ju, University of Sydney, Australia
Lining (Arnold) Ju
Associate Professor
School of Biomedical Engineering
The University of Sydney
Snow Fellow
Australian Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow
Australian Academy of Science John Booker Medal
Click HERE to participate via Zoom
ABSTRACT
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death globally, with thrombosis playing a central role in their pathogenesis. Current antithrombotic therapies, while effective, often carry significant bleeding risks due to their inability to differentiate between pathological and physiological blood clotting. This presentation introduces our integrated approach that combines fundamental mechanobiology with translational engineering to address critical clinical needs in cardiovascular medicine, potentially transforming how we diagnose, monitor, and treat thrombotic disorders. First, using our single-cell biomechanical nanotools such as Biomembrane Force Probe (BFP), we present insights into thrombosis mechanobiology, particularly focusing on the role of von Willebrand Factor (VWF) and other mechanoreceptors (GPIbα, integrin αIIbβ3 and Piezo1 ion channels) in distinguishing between "good" and "bad" mechanical forces in thrombosis. These helped uncover new therapeutic targets for force-sensitive antithrombotic strategies. Second, we demonstrate a personalized vessel-on-chip platform that recreates patient-specific blood vessel geometries and flow conditions, enabling precise evaluation of thrombotic risk and drug responses. Finally, we introduce novel point-of-care microtechnologies for rapid blood coagulation testing, including an AI-powered platform called SmartClot, which promises to revolutionize home-based coagulation monitoring. These innovations represent a significant advancement toward more effective and safer antithrombotic treatments, with potential applications ranging from preventive care to personalized medicine.
BIO
Associate Professor Ju received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, USA. In 2014, he joined the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne as a junior postdoc; and relocated in 2015 to Sydney, to join the Heart Research Institute. In early 2020, Dr Ju joined the University of Sydney (USYD)’s new School of Biomedical Engineering as a senior lecturer and started up the Mechanobiology and Biomechanics Laboratory (MBL). Ju works at the biomedical engineering and mechanobiology. His team has pioneered multiple biomechanical nanotools, including blood-clot-on-a-chip microfluidic devices (Nature Materials 2019 and Nature Communications 2024), single-cell biomembrane force probes (Nature Communications 2018), 4D hemodynamic modeling (Nature 2021) and fluorescent micropipette aspiration assays (Nature Communications 2024). His novel understanding of the mechanics behind blood clot formation has profound implications for diagnosing and preventing heart attacks and strokes. His vision is to build novel platforms that integrate advanced biomanufacturing, high-throughput biomechanical manipulation, and artificial intelligence for biobank data processing.
