Physical forces across time and length scales play a crucial role in physiology and disease, and the highly multidisciplinary field of mechanobiology has increasing potential to unveil new therapeutic targets. For example, single molecules located in the cell’s plasma membrane such as stretch-activated mechanosensitive ion channels mediate fundamental senses including touch. At larger scales, mechanical properties can be markers for the presence of diseases. For instance, the palpation test is oftentimes used by clinicians to assert the presence of breast tumours due to the tissue’s altered mechanical properties resulting from altered extracellular matrix composition and structure.
We will deliver practical sessions as well as theoretical lectures on techniques scaling from nano/micro scale to bulk approaches to study mechanics in biology and its implications for physiology and disease.
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