We have several postdoctoral positions opening now and in the coming months. We are especially interested in candidates with backgrounds in theoretical biomechanics who are interested in conducting bench experiments. These positions will focus on our efforts to recapitulate organ-level function on microchips for drug discovery and physiological studies.
Update 23 March 2007. This wonderful educational video has now been removed from YouTube because it violates copyright. What a pity!
Andre of Biocurious has just pointed out this terrific animation of the dynamics inside a cell. It brings many pages of textbook to life. Delightful. I've just followed Teng Li's instruction to embed the YouTube video below.
Department of Engineering Mechanics
Tsinghua University
Beijing 100084, China
In this study, bone cells were successfully cultured into a micropatterned network with dimensions close to that of in vivo osteocyte networks using microcontact printing and self-assembled monolyers (SAMs). The optimal geometric parameters for the formation of these networks were determined in terms of circle diameters and line widths. Bone cells patterned in these networks were also able to form gap junctions with each other, shown by immunofluorescent staining for the gap junction protein connexin 43, as well as the transfer of gap-junction permeable calcein-AM dye.
Robust biomechanical models are essential for studying the nuclear mechanics and can help shed light on the underlying mechanisms of stress transition in nuclear elements. Here, we develop a computational model for an isolated nucleus undergoing micropipette aspiration. Our model includes distinct components representing the nucleoplasm and the nuclear envelope. The nuclear envelope itself comprises three layers: inner and outer nuclear membranes and one thicker layer representing the nuclear lamina.
