Meeting Abstract

S5.2  Wednesday, Jan. 5  Linking Mechanics to Biochemistry in Molecular and Cellular Behavior through Systems Based Approaches LEDUC, Philip; Carnegie Mellon University prl@andrew.cmu.edu

The link between mechanics and biochemistry has been implicated in a myriad of scientific problems from cell movement and division, to signal transduction and gene expression. Advances in this field have been furthered thanks to the revolutionary developments in microelectronics, genetics, biotechnology, and information technology. Here, I will present some of our latest work probing scientific questions related to cellular and molecular mechanics. I will illustrate why the link between mechanics and biochemistry matters to biology with respect to structural regulation and control-feedback approaches in living cells. Also, I will talk about novel approaches to technology development through focusing on nature inspired design principles at the molecular and cellular levels. Furthermore, by combining novel approaches through engineering and technology, these multidisciplinary ideas can have a significant impact in the advancement of science.