Mechanics: Molecular, Cellular & Tissue
Mechanobiology is an emerging discipline that investigates the role of force and geometry in determining morphology and driving function. The foundation of mechanobiology is the biophysics of mechanics - from the conformation and movement of proteins and DNA at the molecular level, to the protein machines that power cell migration, transmit force through cell adhesions, and traffic materials within and between cells at the cellular level. These molecular and cellular forces act to shape cells and at a larger level the tissues where they will function. Mechanical and chemical interactions between and among cells and with the extracellular matrix determine the complex architecture of simple epithelia of the developing embryo.
Further, the integration of diverse cells in an organ to process materials, the differentiation of stem cells to regenerate tissues in a healthy or diseased organ or, the metastasis of cancers depend upon the microenvironment. Much of the chemical circuits that coordinate and control the machinery in cells and tissues have been identified and are intensely studied. However, primary unsolved question is how the mechanobiology of cells is being integrated to enable tissue functions.
Previous studies of cellular motility and mechanics provided a good basic understanding of the phenomenology and the proteins that are involved in critical mechanical functions. At the atomic level, many static structures of important proteins now exist. However, little is known about the workings of cells at the critical meso-scale (5-500 nm) where mechanical functions are performed.
New tools exist to measure the position of cellular components at the nanometer (molecular) level as well as their dynamics and to measure and apply forces to single molecules in subcellular regions. When coupled with the explosion of knowledge in computational biology and modeling, it is now possible to address major unanswered questions of exactly how cells and tissues move, sense environmental forces and apply forces to neighboring cells or matrices.