Biology subjects

Moros, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Moros, M..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Built-in integrated living electronics: from biosynthesis tomodulation of neuronal function

Neuroelectronic interfaces hold great promise to restore functions in neurological disorders or motor dysfunctions, but current devices struggle to integrate seamlessly within living tissues. Here we report a transformative approach to create bionic neurons that autonomously build integrated fluorescent fibrils and demonstrate their role as neuromodulators. Using a combination of cell biology, ultrastructural, imaging and nanospectroscopical approaches, we deciphered the unique biosynthetic pathway employed by the cells to self-fabricate these nanoelectronics and uncover their hybrid structure. Importantly, patch clamp recordings revealed their neuromodulatory potential, through the perturbation of membrane electrical properties and the early rising phase of the action potential. Deciphering how basic molecular elements self-organize into complex architectures within biological environments could unlock the ability to engineer natural electroactive systems directly inside living organisms. This capability could be used to create conductive pathways between arbitrarily defined neurons, microcircuits, or nervous system regions, effectively writing connections into living brains.

synthetic biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Remote Activation of Wnt Signaling and Cell Proliferation by E-cadherin Magnetomechanical Stimulation

The ability to remotely and precisely manipulate intracellular signaling pathways is a powerful tool for both fundamental biological research and therapeutic applications. Among these pathways, the Wnt/{beta}-catenin signaling cascade plays a central role in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and tissue regeneration. However, current methods for activating this pathway such as pharmacological agents lack spatiotemporal control and may induce severe off-target effects. In this study, we introduce a pioneering magnetogenetic toolkit to modulate the Wnt/{beta}-catenin pathway through magnetomechanical stimulation of E-cadherin, a key cell adhesion molecule intimately linked to {beta}-catenin dynamics. Engineered magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) functionalized with the extracellular domain of E-cadherin (MNPs@E/EC15) are used to selectively bind cellular E-cadherins. By applying a weak intensity and low-gradient magnetic field using a custom-designed magnetic stimulator, localized mechanical forces sufficient to trigger E-cadherin-mediated mechanotransduction are produced. This stimulation leads to {beta}-catenin release from the membrane, nuclear translocation, and activation of Wnt target gene expression, as confirmed by transcriptomic profiling and a Wnt-responsive luciferase reporter assay. These molecular changes are also translated into functional outcomes, including enhanced cell proliferation and accelerated wound closure. This work establishes an innovative non-invasive tool for probing E-cadherin mechanobiology and remotely modulating Wnt/{beta}-catenin signaling with high spatiotemporal resolution. Unlike other tools to probe mechanotransduction, this approach enables the simultaneous modulation of many cells with precise control, using low intensity magnetic field that could be potentially translated into in vivo designs. Our findings open promising avenues for studying mechanotransduction and developing targeted regenerative therapies based on mechanical stimulation.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2025

MagPiezo: a Magnetogenetic Platform for Remote Activation of Endogenous Piezo1 Channels in Endothelial Cells

This work introduces MagPiezo, a novel magnetogenetic platform designed to enable remote and targeted manipulation of endogenous Piezo1 channels without genetic modification. MagPiezo integrates a custom-built magnetic applicator and 19 nm octahedral mixed ferrite nanoparticles (MFs) with enhanced magnetocrystalline anisotropy, engineered to selectively target Piezo1 channels. The application of a low intensity (< 40 mT), low frequency (1 Hz) magnetic field is sufficient to generate wireless torque forces in the piconewton range capable of gating Piezo1 channels in vitro. Remarkably, applying MagPiezo for short times (< 1 h) induces robust responses in endothelial cells, including calcium influx, cytoskeletal reorganization and transcriptional activation. Unlike other magnetogenetic tools, MagPiezo avoids the need to assemble the magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) into bigger beads to reach the opening threshold and does not need to genetically engineer Piezo1 channels. Moreover, it uses low magnetic field intensities and frequencies, enhancing its potential for in vivo translation. Therefore, MagPiezo is a powerful platform for manipulating Piezo1 channels and dissecting mechanotransduction events in vascular biology, paving the way for new strategies to modulate mechanoreceptors both in vitro and in vivo.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2018

Holocene DNA sequences -- a dream come true

Microscopic marine planktons have played a major role in the Earths ecosystem and accounts for half the globes primary production. Predicting the fate of marine planktons is imperative to understanding how ocean life will change in future centuries and how organisms have adapted to changes in the past over long timescales (over thousands of years). Studies of revived resting spores of marine diatoms will serve as excellent proxies of environmental change in marine environments. Thus far, only about a century old marine diatom resting spores could be revived. This severely limited the use of diatom resting spores to investigate the effects of environmental perturbations over longer time scales. Here, we, for the first time report revival of thousands of years old resting spores from the deposits of ancient diatoms (Chaetoceros) in sub-seafloor sediments using a revival protocol that involved recreating the ancient environmental conditions (salinity, temperature and light). Our revived diatom resting spores samples range from recent (0-80 years) to [~]7200 years old. Importantly, we also extracted the DNA from the ancient resting spores of Chaetoceros species from the Baltic Sea. Our findings will enable us to compare DNA sequence data obtained from these natural archives of resurrected organisms and provide predictive models to forecast evolutionary responses of natural populations to environmental changes resulting from natural and anthropogenic stressors, including climate change\n\nSignificance StatementOur results address the important topic of adaptive evolution in marine species due to climate and environmental change induced due to anthropogenic perturbations. We present a new model system Chaetoceros muelleri which will help us address important evolutionary and long-term adaptation questions across evolutionary timescales. Our study reports (1) the revival of recent (0-80 years) to ancient (7200 years old) resting spores of Chaetoceros (2) the extraction of DNA and amplification of chloroplast and ribosomal genes from recent and ancient ([~]1300 years old) resting spores of Chaetoceros (3) Radiocarbon dating to determine age of sediments (4) Identification of species by reviving the resting spores (5) Baltic sea an excellent ecosystem to study long-term effects of environment on species adaptation

evolutionary biology↗