Various protocols have been developed to functionalize the PDMS surface, e.g. Uniaxial cell stretchers typically use linear stepper motors that are connected to a flexible substrate, which is typically made of transparent and highly flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymers (such as Sylgard™184). One of the most widespread devices for this purpose are uniaxial cell stretchers, ranging from home-built devices, , to commercial systems (reviewed in ). Regardless of the specific question, easy-to-use devices are needed to study the influence of mechanical stimulation on cells under laboratory conditions. from morphological changes such as cell orientation, and the role of cytoskeletal adaptation, to the recent identification of mechanosensory ion channels of the piezo family, which are candidates for the direct conversion of stress into chemical signals. The influence of mechanical stress on cells is of interest for various scientific fields and can be studied on several levels, ranging e.g. Research over the last two decades has shown that mechanical signals and their cellular processing (mechanotransduction) are essential for physiological cell behavior, and that disturbed mechanotransduction pathways can lead to a large range of pathological derangements,. Our data support the previously observed activation of the YAP transcription pathway by stretch-induced increase in cytoskeletal tension and demonstrate the suitability of the cell stretcher to study complex mechano-biological processes. As a proof-of-concept, we study the activation of the Yes-associated protein (YAP) mechanotransduction pathway in response to increased cytoskeletal tension induced by uniaxial stretching of epithelial cells. The cell yield from the cell culture area of 4 cm 2 per substrate is sufficient for Western-blot protein analysis. Up to six flexible optically clear substrates can be stretched simultaneously, allowing for comparative multi-batch biological studies including microscopic image analysis. The cell stretcher is controlled by a fully programmable open-source software using GCode and Python.

Here, we present an open-source cell stretcher built from parts of an Anet A8 3D printer. To mimic these dynamic mechanical loading conditions and to study the resulting cellular responses such as morphological changes or the activation of biochemical signaling pathways, cells are typically seeded on flexible 2D substrates that are uniaxially or biaxially stretched. Cells in the lungs, the heart, and numerous other organs, are constantly exposed to dynamic forces and deformations.

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