Acoustically-driven optical-interferometric microscope for cell characterization

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Abstract The goal of this proposal to develop a first of its kind acoustically driven quantitative phase microscopy (QPM) rheology system. Mechanical forces play an important role in physiology and pathology. Mechanical, electrical, and chemical phenomena govern all processes in cellular systems such as signaling, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis. Cellular mechanics play important roles in normal physiological processes but perhaps more importantly in numerous abnormal pathological processes. Mechanical environment have been demonstrated to regulate stem cell differentiation; embryo development is guided by many mechanical clues. In pathological processes, stiffening of red blood cell membrane is a factor in driving vaso-occlusive crisis in sickle cell disease and malaria patients. Mechanical forces dysregulation can lead to hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes that can cause sudden cardiac death, most commonly in young patients. Inflammation is known to be regulated by mechanical factors and is related to difficulties in treating chronic wounds. The stiffness of extracellular matrix environment is important in regulating cancer progression and the measurement of cell/tissue mechanical properties has been proposed as a way to identify resection margins during cancer surgery. Mechanopharmacology is also known to modulate cellular drug responses. The importance of cellular biomechanics is well recognized; however, the ability to investigate cellular scale mechanical factors in biology and medicine is limited by the available measurement tools.