Mechanobiology
Mechanobiology is the study of how mechanical forces and properties influence biological systems, from molecules to whole organisms. It integrates biology, physics, and engineering to understand how cells sense and respond to their physical environment.
Cells experience cues such as extracellular matrix stiffness, fluid shear, tensile stretch, and compressive pressure. They
Key signaling pathways include focal adhesions with FAK and Src, RhoA/ROCK–driven cytoskeletal remodeling, and the YAP/TAZ
Researchers use methods like traction force microscopy to map cellular forces, atomic force microscopy to probe
Applications span tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, cancer biology, stem cell differentiation, vascular biology, wound healing, and
The field has roots in foundational observations of load-driven tissue adaptation and has grown with advances