Conference Support for 2003 ASME Symposium: Mechanics of Biological Materials; November 16-21, 2003; Washington, DC

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0345373BaoA Special Symposium: Mechanics of Biological Materials is to be conducted in Washington, DC in conjunction with the November 16-21, 2003 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International Mechanical Congress and Exposition. The goals of the symposium are (a) to bring together researchers in applied mechanics, bioengineering, biophysics, biology, and biochemistry to facilitate interdisciplinary studies; (b) to discuss the cutting-edge research in this field and to identify critical issues and challenges in further developing cellular and molecular biomechanics; (c) to encourage researchers in applied mechanics to enter the field. Recent advances in cell and molecular biology, biotechnology and biomechanics, have introduced the need to study mechanics as related to cellular functions and molecular mechanisms in biological tissues and materials. Mechanical forces and deformations play an important role in all these aspects, and in regulating cell behavior and function, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and death (apoptosis). Biomechanics should provide a useful tool for modeling and quantitative analyses of biological responses, especially force-bearing, force-generating, and force-sensing functions in cells. Results from the symposium will contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms of mechanochemical coupling and how mechanical forces regulate cell behavior and function by deforming nucleic acids and proteins, influencing the transport of ions and other molecules, and altering receptor-ligand binding kinetic rates, and specificity. The symposium goals are to be attained in four technical sessions: (1) Mechanics of proteins and nucleic acids, (2) BioMEMS and bionanotechnology, (3) Cellular and subcellular biomechanics, (4) Biosensors and biomaterial systems. Financial support is being provided for 4 speakers, unassociated with ASME, who are leading researchers in the sciences (biophysicists; biochemists (2); materials) that produce the basic knowledge necessary to reach the goals of the meeting. The cutting-edge research and critical issues to be discussed during the meeting constitute the intellectual merit of the project and the multidisciplinary composition of the speakers and attendees and wide distribution of the proceedings of the symposium assures a broad impact from the activity.