Dr Marc Fernandez-Yague
Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Chemistry
School of Physical and Chemical Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Research
Mechanotransduction, Focal Adhesions, Mechanosensitive Ion Channels, Bioelectricity, Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials
Interests
My research aims to understand the physical principles behind cell-matrix interactions. By merging cell engineering techniques and materials science, I aim to create materials that can steer cellular function, offering new solutions to age-old medical challenges.
At SPCS (QMUL) I lead the “Cellular reprogramming through mechanotransduction” research group, where significant portion of our work is dedicated to optimizing mechanochemical tools for:
1)Understanding how biophysical cues are sensed and integrated into cellular signaling within living tissues.
2)Developing therapeutic technologies for in-situ tissue regeneration that are reliable, safer, and cost-effective.
Research Interests:
a.Engineering Immunity: We focus on leveraging the inflammatory responses to biomaterials to engineer immunomodulatory strategies for tissue repair.
b.Mechanochemical Cell Biology: We design biomimetic platforms to understand how cells interact and communicate with their mechanochemical environments.
c.Regenerative Electroceuticals: Developing bioelectric devices for interfacing with cellular processes as regenerative medicine therapies.
d.Implant Biointegration: We formulate easy, cost-effective and reliable strategies for more efficient implant-tissue integration, addressing the issues of post-implantation instability.
Publications

Publications of specific relevance to the Centre for Chemical Research
2024
A Tympanic Piezo‐Bioreactor Modulates Ion Channel‐Associated Mechanosignaling to Stabilize Phenotype and Promote Tenogenesis in Human Tendon‐Derived Cells.Fernandez‐Yague MA Palma M Tofail SAM Duffy M Quinlan LR Dalby MJ Pandit A Biggs MJ
Advanced Science,
Wiley vol. 11 (45)
22-10-2024
FAK, vinculin, and talin control mechanosensitive YAP nuclear localizationHolland EN Fernández-Yagüe MA Zhou DW O'Neill EB Woodfolk AU García AJ
Biomaterials,
Elsevier vol. 308
20-03-20242022
Adhesive peptide and polymer density modulate 3D cell traction forces within synthetic hydrogelsColasurdo M Nieves EB Fernández-Yagüe MA
Biomaterials,
Elsevier vol. 288
11-08-2022
A Self‐Powered Piezo‐Bioelectric Device Regulates Tendon Repair‐Associated Signaling Pathways through Modulation of Mechanosensitive Ion ChannelsFernandez-Yague MA Trotier A Demir S Abbah SA Larrañaga A Stapleton A Palma M
Advanced Materials,
Wiley vol. 34 (14)
01-04-2022
Analyzing immune response to engineered hydrogels by hierarchical clustering of inflammatory cell subsetsFernandez-Yague MA Hymel LA Olingy CE McClain C Ogle ME García JR Minshew D Lim HS et al.
Science Advances,
American Association For The Advancement of Science (Aaas) vol. 8 (8)
25-02-20222021
A Self‐Powered Piezo‐Bioelectric Device Regulates Tendon Repair‐Associated Signaling Pathways through Modulation of Mechanosensitive Ion Channels (Adv. Mater. 40/2021)Fernandez‐Yague MA Trotier A Demir S Larrañaga A Thirumaran A Stapleton A Tofail SAM Palma M et al.
Advanced Materials,
Wiley vol. 33 (40)
01-10-2021
A Self‐Powered Piezo‐Bioelectric Device Regulates Tendon Repair‐Associated Signaling Pathways through Modulation of Mechanosensitive Ion ChannelsFernandez‐Yague MA Trotier A Demir S Abbah SA Larrañaga A Thirumaran A Stapleton A Tofail SAM et al.
Advanced Materials,
Wiley vol. 33 (40)
23-08-2021
Force-FAK signaling coupling at individual focal adhesions coordinates mechanosensing and microtissue repairZhou DW Fernández-Yagüe MA Holland EN García AF Castro NS O’Neill EB Fu J
Nature Communications,
Springer Nature vol. 12 (1)
21-04-2021
In vitro analysis of a physiological strain sensor formulated from a PEDOT:PSS functionalized carbon nanotube-poly(glycerol sebacate urethane) compositeTadayyon G Krukiewicz K Britton J Larrañaga A Vallejo-Giraldo C Guo Y Poudel A
Materials Science and Engineering C,
Elsevier vol. 121
06-01-20212020
Nanovibrational Stimulation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induces Therapeutic Reactive Oxygen Species and Inflammation for Three-Dimensional Bone Tissue Engineering.Orapiriyakul W Tsimbouri MP Childs P Campsie P Wells J Fernandez-Yague MA Burgess K Tanner KE et al.
Acs Nano,
American Chemical Society 23-07-2020
Pancreatic Islets: Functionalization of Alginate with Extracellular Matrix Peptides Enhances Viability and Function of Encapsulated Porcine Islets (Adv. Healthcare Mater. 9/2020)Medina JD Alexander M Hunckler MD Fernández‐Yagüe MA Coronel MM Smink AM
Advanced Healthcare Materials,
Wiley vol. 9 (9)
01-05-2020
Functionalization of Alginate with Extracellular Matrix Peptides Enhances Viability and Function of Encapsulated Porcine IsletsMedina JD Alexander M Hunckler MD Fernández‐Yagüe MA Coronel MM Smink AM Lakey JR
Advanced Healthcare Materials,
Wiley vol. 9 (9)
07-04-20202019
Boron Nitride Nanotube Addition Enhances the Crystallinity and Cytocompatibility of PVDF-TrFEPoudel A Fernandez MA
Frontiers in Chemistry,
Frontiers vol. 7
21-05-2019
Enhanced osteoconductivity on electrically charged titanium implants treated by physicochemical surface modifications methodsFernández-Yagüe M Antoñanzas RP Biggs M Gil FJ
Nanomedicine Nanotechnology Biology and Medicine,
Elsevier vol. 18, 1-10.
26-02-20192018
In vivo efficiency of antimicrobial inorganic bone grafts in osteomyelitis treatmentsMestres G Fernandez-Yague MA Pastorino D Canal C Manzanares-Céspedes MC
Materials Science and Engineering C,
Elsevier vol. 97, 84-95.
28-11-2018
Attenuated Glial Reactivity on Topographically Functionalized Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene):P-Toluene Sulfonate (PEDOT:PTS) Neuroelectrodes Fabricated by Microimprint Lithography.Vallejo-Giraldo C Krukiewicz K Calaresu I Zhu J Palma M Fernandez-Yague M McDowell B Peixoto N et al.
Small vol. 14 (28), e1800863-e1800863.
01-07-20182017
Antioxidant functionalized polymer capsules to prevent oxidative stressLarrañaga A Isa ILM Patil V Lomora M Sarasua J-R Palivan CG
Acta Biomaterialia,
Elsevier vol. 67, 21-31.
16-12-2017
Direct Laser Interference Patterning of CoCr Alloy Surfaces to Control Endothelial Cell and Platelet Response for Cardiovascular ApplicationsSchieber R Lasserre F Hans M Fernández‐Yagüe M Díaz‐Ricart M Mücklich F Pegueroles M
Advanced Healthcare Materials,
Wiley vol. 6 (19)
17-07-20172016
Effects of isothermal crystallization on the mechanical properties of a elastomeric medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoateLarrañaga A Pompanon F Gruffat N Palomares T Fernandez-Yague MA
European Polymer Journal,
Elsevier vol. 85, 401-410.
01-12-2016
Polyhydroxyalkanoate/carbon nanotube nanocomposites: flexible electrically conducting elastomers for neural applicationsVallejo-Giraldo C Pugliese E Fernandez-Yague MA Britton JJ Trotier A Kelly A Rago I Sarasua J-R et al.
Nanomedicine,
Taylor & Francis vol. 11 (19), 2547-2563.
13-09-2016
Biological Activity on Piezoelectric PVDFFernandez-Yague MA Vallejo-Giraldo C Aceret GO Biggs MJ
In
Electrically Active Materials For Medical Devices,
World Scientific Publishing 167-176.
08-08-20162015
Effects of Polydopamine Functionalization on Boron Nitride Nanotube Dispersion and CytocompatibilityFernandez-Yague MA Larrañaga A Gladkovskaya O Stanley A Tadayyon G Guo Y Sarasua J-R Tofail SAM
Bioconjugate Chemistry,
American Chemical Society (Acs) vol. 26 (10), 2025-2037.
15-09-2015
Determination of fluid leakages in the different screw-retained implant-abutment connections in a mechanical artificial mouthMartin-Gili D Molmeneu M Fernandez M Punset M Armengou J
Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine,
Springer Nature vol. 26 (7)
01-07-2015
Nanoscale neuroelectrode modification via sub-20 nm silicon nanowires through self-assembly of block copolymersMokarian-Tabari P Vallejo-Giraldo C Fernandez-Yague M Cummins C Biggs MJP
Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine,
Springer Nature vol. 26 (2)
01-02-2015
Advances in surfaces and osseointegration in implantology. Biomimetic surfacesAlbertini M Fernandez-Yague M Lázaro P Herrero-Climent M Rios-Santos J-V
Medicina Oral Patología Oral Y Cirugia Bucal,
Medicina Oral, S.L. vol. 20 (3), e316-e325.
01-01-20152014
Biomimetic approaches in bone tissue engineering: Integrating biological and physicomechanical strategiesFernandez-Yague MA Abbah SA McNamara L Zeugolis DI
Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews,
Elsevier vol. 84, 1-29.
16-09-20142013
Analysis of the misfit of dental implant-supported prostheses made with three manufacturing processesFernández M Delgado L Molmeneu M Rodríguez D
Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry,
Elsevier vol. 111 (2), 116-123.
28-10-2013
Self-powered piezo-bioelectronic device mediates tendon repair through modulation of mechanosensitive ion channelsFernandez-Yague MA Trotier A Abbah SA Larrañaga A Thirumaran A Stapleton A Tofail SAM Palma M et al.
In
Biorxiv
Force-FAK Signaling Coupling at Individual Focal Adhesions Coordinates Mechanosensing and Microtissue RepairZhou D Fernández-Yagüe M Holland E García A Castro N O’Neill E Eyckmans J Chen C et al.
In
Research Square
Nanovibrational stimulation of mesenchymal stem cells induces therapeutic reactive oxygen species and inflammation for 3D bone tissue engineeringOrapiriyakul W Tsimbouri PM Childs PG Campsie P Wells J Fernandez-Yague M Burgess K Tanner KE et al.
In
Biorxiv
Grants

Grants of specific relevance to the Centre for Chemical Research
Precision Mechano-Therapeutics With Light-Driven Molecular Nanomachines Against Progressive FibrosisMarc Fernandez-Yague£19,926
Royal Society01-10-2024 - 30-09-2025
Research Group
PhD Students
- Karla Leon Martinez
Deconstructing Fibrotic Microenvironments Spatial Complexity