Engineering Cell-Substrate Interactions

Catalog description

Students will be introduced to both the material and cellular aspects that control and regulate cell-substrate interactions and the resulting cellular behavior including spreading, adhesion, migration and differentiation. Key material physical and surface chemistry properties will be explored as well as cellular adhesion molecules and cytoskeletal structures. In addition, cellular signaling pathways related to mechanobiology including YAP/TAZ will be discussed using current peer-review journal articles. Students will also design and propose a cell-substrate interaction study and execute feasibility experiments.