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

2003年11月16日至21日，美国机械工程师协会（ASME）国际机械大会和博览会将在华盛顿举行特别研讨会：生物材料力学。研讨会的目标是：（a）将应用力学、生物工程、生物物理学、生物学和生物化学的研究人员聚集在一起，促进跨学科研究;（B）讨论该领域的前沿研究，并确定进一步发展细胞和分子生物力学的关键问题和挑战;（c）鼓励应用力学的研究人员进入这一领域。细胞和分子生物学，生物技术和生物力学的最新进展，介绍了需要研究力学相关的细胞功能和分子机制的生物组织和材料。机械力和变形在所有这些方面以及在调节细胞行为和功能（包括细胞增殖、分化和死亡（凋亡））中起重要作用。生物力学应提供一个有用的工具，建模和定量分析的生物反应，特别是受力，力产生，和力传感功能的细胞。研讨会的结果将有助于更好地理解机械化学耦合的机制，以及机械力如何通过使核酸和蛋白质变形来调节细胞行为和功能，影响离子和其他分子的运输，以及改变受体-配体结合动力学速率和特异性。 研讨会的目标将在四个技术会议上实现：（1）蛋白质和核酸的力学，（2）BioMEMS和生物纳米技术，（3）细胞和亚细胞生物力学，（4）生物传感器和生物材料系统。正在为4名与ASME无关的发言者提供财政支持，他们是科学领域的主要研究人员（生物化学家;生物化学家（2）;材料），为实现会议目标提供必要的基本知识。 会议期间将讨论的前沿研究和关键问题构成了该项目的知识价值，发言者和与会者的多学科组成以及专题讨论会会议记录的广泛分发确保了活动的广泛影响。

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.