Innovative Approaches to Cell Biomechanics

Okeyo Kennedy OmondiOkeyo Kennedy Omondi is an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tokyo in Japan. He is a member of the Japan Mechanical Engineering Society and The Society for Single-Cell Surveyor.  He has actively researched on the mechanical regulatory mechanisms of cell migration and made pioneering findings on the role of mechanical factors in actin cytoskeleton regulation. His current research interests include cell manipulation and control of cellular functions using MEMS and microfluidic devices, and also the development of novel culture systems for stable and long term culture of stems cells and their characterization. He has authored several papers and won several awards, notably, the "Achievement Award 2014" by the Japan Mechanical Engineering Society.Hiromi MiyoshiHiromi Miyoshi is a Research Scientist of biomedical engineering at RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics in Japan. She is an Associate Editor of the Springer Frontiers of Biomechanics series. She has actively researched on the cell shape changes and migration. Her current research interests include elucidating the basic mechanisms of cell proliferation, differentiation and cell-extracellular matrix interaction, specifically focusing on the role of actin cytoskeleton, and its application to design of biomaterials for cell based medicine.Personal Websitehttp://researchmap.jp/hiromi-miyoshi/?lang=englishTaiji AdachiTaiji Adachi is a professor at the Department of Biomechanics, Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University in Japan. He is an Editor of the Springer Frontiers of Biomechanics series. His research interests are biomechanics, mechanobiology, and computational mechanics. His research activities originally have been focused on the computational biomechanics of functional adaptation by remodeling in bone that has mechanical hierarchy in structure-function relationships from the macroscopic organ/tissues levels to the microscopic cell/molecular levels. His current research includes modeling and simulation combined with in vitro and in vivo experiments of multiscale biomechanical phenomena in the cellular system including cell migration and mechanosensing. Personal Websitehttp://www.frontier.kyoto-u.ac.jp/bf05/membersHP/adachi/index-e.htm

• Actin Cytoskeletal Structure in Migrating Cells.- Actin Cytoskeleton Generates Mechanical Forces for Cell Migration.- Multi-scale Mechanochemical Interactions between Cell Membrane and Actin Filaments.- Actin Network Flow and Turnover are coupled in Migrating Cells.- Mechanical Strain is involved in Actin Network Reorganization.- Actin Network Dynamics is Regulated by Actomyosin Interactions.- Biophysical Interactions between Cells and Extracellular Matrix.- Cell Migration in Engineered Micro-/Nano-environments with Controlled Physical Properties.- Engineered Biomaterial for Cell Manipulation.