CAREER: Understanding Cellular and Molecular Mechanics with Nano-/Micro-technology

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National Science FoundationCAREER: Understanding Cellular and Molecular Mechanics with Nano-/Micro-technologyPhilip LeDucAbstractThe traditional boundaries between engineering and the life sciences are rapidly disintegrating as interdisciplinary research teams develop new engineering tools for further exploring fundamental questions in medicine and biology. This fusion promises to uncover complex cell interactions by linking molecular function to cellular behavior in the area of mechanics. Recent advances in nanotechnology are enabling experiments on individual cells and molecules to test the hypothesis that intracellular structural deformation in mammalian cells is locally controlled by mechanical perturbations through the response of sub-cellular domains. The broader impact of these studies is hoped to benefit society through ultimately leading to the development of treatments for pathological conditions in which cellular mechanics and structure are believed to play an important role: heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. The technical merit of this proposal will focus on determining the link between molecular interactions and cell structure by identifying unique structural function and behavior.