Workshop: A Hands-On Summer School on Cell Mechanics for Engineers and Biologists; held Univ. of Illinois-Urbana; May 14-18, 2007

越来越多的实验证据表明，细胞外和细胞内的机械力对细胞的生长、分化和基因表达等广泛的行为有深远的影响。建议的暑期课程将强调目前对细胞将机械信号转化为功能的过程的理解。该领域的知名专家将以教学形式（例如，1小时讲座，1小时讨论）授课，涵盖基础知识和高级知识。讲座之后，将使用纳米级设备进行实验室实验，探索细胞力学敏感性的各个方面。实验的一个重点将是研究细胞骨架动力学，因为细胞生长在具有不同顺应性的功能化底物上。研讨会将为与会者提供独特的研究和教育经验。他们将接触到细胞和分子生物学，力学和热力学以及分子计算的基础和高级主题。通过动手实验，参与者将学习细胞培养，先进的荧光显微镜，包括单分子检测，纳米传感器和设备的应用及其制造。来自生物和物理科学以及工程学的参与者将学习彼此的行业和语言，以促进进一步的科学互动。课程资料，如课堂讲稿和视频、实验讲义、关键实验步骤的视频剪辑，将通过网络传播。因此，暑期学校将对正在进入新的跨学科研究领域的物理科学和生物学的广泛受众产生长期影响。

There is increasing experimental evidence suggesting that extracellular and intracellular mechanical forces have a profound influence on a wide range of cell behavior such as growth, differentiation, and gene expression. The proposed summer course will highlight the current understanding on the processes by which cells transduce mechanical signals to functionality. Renowned experts in the field will deliver lectures in an instructional format (e.g., 1-hr lecture, 1-hr discussion) that cover both the basics and advanced knowledge. The lectures will be followed by hands-on lab experiments using nano scale devices that explore various aspects of cell mechano sensitivity. One highlight of the experiments will be to study cytoskeletal dynamics as cells grow on functionalized substrates with varying compliances. The workshop will offer a unique research and educational experience for the participants. They will be exposed to basics and advanced topics on cell and molecular biology, mechanics and thermodynamics, and molecular computations. Through the hands on experiments, participants will learn cell culture, advanced florescent microscopy including single molecule detection, application of nano scale sensors and devices and their fabrication. The participants from biological and physical sciences, and engineering will learn each others' trades and languages to foster further scientific interactions. The course materials, such as lecture notes and videos, laboratory hand-outs, video clips of key experimental steps, will be disseminated through the web. Hence, the summer school will have a long term impact on a broad audience from physical sciences and biology that are entering in the new interdisciplinary fields of research.