Development of Passive Microrheology as a tool to study cell substrate interaction

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We propose to use new micromechanical techniques of microrheology to assess to what extent they are able to add new physical non-invasive methodologies for studying cell interaction with substrates given that so much of cell biology is dependent on destructive analysis. To assist in this we are going to work with two cells, keratinocytes and fibroblasts, looking at their interaction with a small range of defined substrates under physiological and sub-physiological calcium conditions. The interactions of these cells with these substrates under these conditions is already well known and well documented in the MacNeil laboratory. Dr Sally McArthur will be providing the well characterised substrates for this project. Accordingly we will use a range of well established cell interactions with substrates to examine to what extent microrheology can usefully follow the behaviour of cells as they interact with substrates and hopefully be used to predict the organisation of the cytoskeleton without having to resort to destructive testing.