Emergent Behaviors in Cell Mechanics

Cells and therefore tissues ordinarily experience some form of mechanical stimulation as they are often in mechanically diverse and dynamic environments. As a result we have learned that cells have the astounding ability to sense and respond to their environment. This seemingly innate behavior of cells has intrigued many researchers in the field of cell mechanics for decades and compelled efforts aimed at characterizing its behaviors and underlying mechanisms. While many techniques exist, in the context of this chapter, novel techniques we have developed and implemented will be examined as well as new emergent behaviors we have discovered. The behaviors that will be discussed have relevance in various areas of pathology and physiology including collective cell migration and cancer metastasis.