Tools for Studying Biomechanical Interactions in Cells

Cells interact with their environment through forces that are generated and sensed by the cell. Forces generated by cells are in the few nanoNewton to several microNewton range and can change spatially over subcellular size scales. Transducing forces at such size and force scales requires development of platforms that can mechanically interface with cells. We describe several techniques that have been developed to study the role of mechanical forces in cellular processes. The measurement tools include those to measure the forces exerted by the cell on the extracellular environment, internal forces of contraction and the cytoskeletal properties.