[ C E L L B I O M E C H A N I C S L A B ]
[ home ]
[ research ]
[ publications ]
[ news ]
[ people ]
[ positions ]
[ contact ]

Nathan J. Sniadecki, Ph.D.

Cell Biomechanics Lab
Department of Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering
University of Washington

Updates

Welcome to the Cell Biomechanics Lab! Dr. Sniadecki joined the ME department in Sept '07. This webpage is to communicate our mission statement and research.


    Our mission is to understand how mechanics affects human biology and disease at the fundamental level of biological cells. Factors such as force, adhesivity, organization, and material properties, can influence the structure-function relationship of our tissue. This occurs naturally through a process known as mechanotransduction, which is the transduction of mechanical signals into biochemical changes, and can influence cellular functions such as proliferation, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis. However, it is difficult to identify the effect of mechanical factors because we lack appropriate tool-sets with which to study our basic biology. We address these questions with new experimental techniques and modeling approaches in order to build up a knowledge base in cell mechanics. If we can formulate how cells, which are our basic building blocks, use or are guided by mechanics, then we can hope to alter or direct cellular properties and function in order to influence large changes in our tissue and organs.

    We specialize in the design and development of new micro- and nano-tools for biological and medical research. We manufacture these tools using microfabrication and innovative processes in nanoscience and bioengineering. By miniaturizing the tool, we can probe the role of cell mechanics at the length scale appropriate to the size of cells (10-4 - 10-5 m) and their proteins (10-6 - 10-8 m). Our bodies can be viewed as a hierarchical system where our organs are composed of different tissues, which are defined by cells and what proteins they express. A key aspect to our physiology is how all the small parts come together, e.g. cytoskeleton, focal adhesions, cell-cell contacts, cell membrane, etc. Through studying the coordinated activity of cells and quantifying their mechanical properties, we will understand normal and diseased physiology at a fundamental level.

-:-    Building biomechanics from the cell up    -:-