What is Mechanobiology?
- The Cell
  
  How are cellular processes compartmentalized?
  
  How is DNA, RNA, proetin and lipid synethsis controlled in time and space?
  
  How does a cell ensure proteins are produced and moved to the correct subcellular regions?
- What are some common themes in Mechanobiology?
  
  Mechanobiology describes the relationship between a cell and its environment; how a cell can detect, measure and respond to the rigidity of its substrate and how these processes apply to larger biological systems.
  
  How are forces transduced in a cellular environment?
  
  How is energy transferred across the cellular system?
  
  Is mechanosensing an active or passive process?
  
  What types of forces do cells encounter?
  
  How does the cytoskeleton transmit mechanical forces?
  
  How do focal adhesions facilitate mechanosensing?
  
  How do focal adhesions sense the physical properties of the matrix?
Topics to Explore
- Cytoskeleton Dynamics
  
  The cytoskeleton is a highly dynamic network of filamentous proteins that enables the active transport of cellular cargo, transduces force, and when assembled into higher-order structures, forms the basis for motile cellular structures that promote cell movement. Learn More
- Membrane Dynamics
  
  Cell membranes are highly enriched in signaling receptors, transmembrane mechanosensors, pumps and channels, and, depending on their makeup, can recruit and retain a pool of mechanosensors important in the field of mechanobiology. Learn More
- Mechanosignaling
  
  The detection of mechanical signals, and their integration into biochemical pathways, is integral to the cell’s ability to sense, measure and respond to its physical surroundings. Mechanosignl and enable communication between neighbouring cells. Learn More
- Genome Regulation
  
  Genome regulation encompasses all facets of gene expression, from the biochemical modifications of DNA, to the physical arrangement of chromosomes and the activity of the transcription machinery. Learn More
- Development
  
  Development in higher order organisms commences at conception and continues into old age. In the earliest stages of development, the physical properties of the microenvironment can direct cell differentiation, and initiate the coordinated movement of groups of cells to establish the patterns that will define how the body is arranged. Learn More
- Pathogenesis
  
  Insights into disease etiology and progression, the two major aspects of pathogenesis, are paramount in the prevention, management and treatment of various diseases. While many people will be genetically predisposed to a given disease, the mechanical properties of the tissue or cellular environment can also contribute to disease progression or its onset.Learn More
Latest Findings
Resources

How do the mechanical properties of cells change with respect to substrate rigidity?

steve2018-02-19T11:09:32+08:30

How do the mechanical properties of cells change with respect to substrate rigidity?

As stiffness of the extracellular matrix increases, the mechanical properties of the actin cytoskeleton shifts from fluid to solid.

These findings were published in Nature Communications in 2015.

Gupta M, Sarangi BR, Deschamps J, Nematbakhsh Y, Callan-Jones A, Margadant F, Mège RM, Lim […]

What is the role of plastin in C. elegans embryogenesis?

steve2018-02-08T13:15:06+08:30

What is the role of plastin in C elegans embryogenesis?

Plastin, an actin cross-linking protein, has been shown to be instrumental for efficient cytokinesis and polarization in C. elegans zygotes. By increasing connectivity within the cortical actomyosin network, plastin provides strength to the network, to enable a coordinated cortical flow required to segregate proteins during zygote polarization. Similarly, […]