The Ohio State University

Full Title: 

Mechanics at Biology's Length Scales: Understanding Collagen Tissues, B Cells, and Amyloid Protein Aggregates with Applied Mechanics

Abstract:

Biological systems spanning length scales from single molecules up to full mammalian systems use mechanical machinery to achieve physical processes and interactions such as cell migration and adhesion.  At each length scale mechanics plays a vital role in biological function and can provide new insight into important biological questions.  However, understanding systems at various length scales requires tailoring of both theoretical and experimental tools.  Specifically, as systems of interest shrink in size and increase in complexity, traditional continuum mechanics approaches may not be sufficient to describe relevant mechanical phenomena.  This talk will include examples of mechanics applied to three different biological systems, each at a different length scale.  First, a continuum mechanics approach is applied to develop a theoretical model of the force-extension behavior of the wavy collagen fibers that make up tendons and ligaments.  Secondly, moving down in length scale to cells, a combined experimental and micro-structural modeling based approach is employed to describe the cell membrane during the physiologically relevant deformation of membrane tethering that occurs during cell rolling.  Finally simultaneous force spectroscopy and fluorescence imaging experiments are combined with theoretical modeling to evaluate the mechanics and structure of amyloid fibers which are disease causing protein aggregates.  These three projects demonstrate how mechanics can be applied to answer important questions about biological systems at different length scales.

Bio:

Carlos Castro received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering at the Ohio State University both in 2005 where his research focused on modeling and optimization of injection molding manufacturing processes.  He is currently working on his PhD at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.  Carlos' PhD research has combined the use of optical tweezers to perform biomechanical experiments on single cells and single molecules with theoretical micromechanical modeling to study the mechanics of tissues, cells, and protein aggregates.  Carlos plans to finish his PhD in the Summer of 2009.