MS-2-1

Mechanical properties of cells present a high variability, varying even several orders of magnitude. In fact, cells behave both as active and passive materials. So, cells support and transmit loads, although they also can generate forces. In consequence, cells actively sense and update their response to environmental mechanical signals. This fact has motivated that a rapidly growing number of scientists focuses experimentally as well as theoretically on various aspects of cell mechanics. This mini-symposium will cover this interdisciplinary topic, including aspects as:

• Cell mechanics and relation to migration, adhesion, and forces generation
• Cell mechanics and its role in development, physiology, and disease
• Experimental cell mechanical (loading protocols, tools, data interpretation)
• Cell mechanics using microfluidic approaches
• Biophysical experiments on cytoskeletal mechanics
• Theoretical/Numerical modelling of cell mechanics and mechano-responsiveness
• Mechanotransduction
• Biomechanical behaviour of cells in 3D tissue engineered scaffolds