BME 6410

Cell and Molecular Mechanobiology

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2024-2025.

Mechanobiology describes how cells and tissues sense and respond to their physical environment. Examples range from muscle cells growing in response to exercise, bones adapting to mechanical load, and mechanical forces modulating immune cell function to the distribution of fluid shear stress determining the sites of atherosclerosis or tissue stiffness promoting the risk of cancer. This course will introduce examples of mechanobiology in physiology and disease, explain the cell and molecular components involved in mechanosensing and the cell/tissue response to mechanical stimuli, highlight experimental tools and approaches to study mechanobiology at the cell, molecular, and tissue level, analyze representative data of mechanobiology experiments, and discuss current limitations and engineering challenges to advance to field.

When Offered Spring.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: BIOMG 1350 or equivalent, BME 3010 and BME 3020 or equivalents.

• Students will be able to recognize the importance of the mechanical inputs on cellular function in physiological and pathological conditions.
• Students will be able to explain molecular components and mechanisms by which cells sense and respond to their mechanical environment.
• Students will be able to identify suitable experimental approaches to study mechanobiology and interpret representative experimental data.

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