Cell Mechanics and Mechanobiology.

Catalog description

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: previous course in biomechanics and a previous cell biology course, or permission of instructor. Graduate-level students will gain a quantitative understanding of cellular mechanics and the way cells detect, modify and respond to the physical properties within the cell environment. Students will gain a thorough understanding of relevant primary literature and mathematical models. Both experimental and theoretical approaches toward cell mechanics and mechanobiology will be addressed. Emphasis will be placed upon cells from the nervous, cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. Cancer cell mechanotransduction will also be addressed.