PROJECT SUMMARY
Mechanochemistry and mechanobiology are rapidly advancing fields that aim to understand and leverage the
effects of mechanical forces on multiple hierarchical length scales. Understanding the mechanical structure-
function relationships of biomolecules, cells and tissues is at the core of mechanobiology and recent evidence
shows that mechanical responses across all hierarchical scales are altered in many diseases. While initially
focused on fundamental mechanisms and the necessary method development, the knowledge gained is
increasingly utilized for the development of targeted materials for tissue engineering and the methods developed
laid the foundation for the entirely new field of mechanodiagnostics and mechanotherapeutics. Along the same
lines, a key focus of mechanochemistry is on understanding how synthetic molecules respond to forces and how
this response leads to emergent material properties. The knowledge gained is increasingly harnessed for the
bottom-up design of materials with tunable mechanical properties, self-reporting and self-healing capabilities as
well as sensor and/or actuator function. In coming years, exciting new research is expected to emerge at the
interface of mechanochemistry and mechanobiology that will ultimately allow for integrating smart synthetic
materials with living systems.
This GRC and its associated GRS aim to bridge research on fundamental mechanisms with emerging
applications that exploit mechanochemical and mechanobiological processes, with a strong focus on
biomedical applications as well as new multifunctional (bio)materials.
This GRC/GRS brings together researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, such as biology,
(bio)chemistry, physics, engineering and materials science to foster collaboration and innovation. Catalyzing
cross-disciplinary scientific exchange, the GRC/GRS will establish common principles, critical questions and
specific objectives at the intersection of mechanobiology and mechanochemistry. This effort will propel the
transformation of fundamental insights into a multifaceted array of applications dedicated to enhancing human
health. We aim to reach these goals via three specific aims: (1) The GRC/GRS will provide a platform for
presenting unpublished data across a wide range of emerging topics and promote interdisciplinary discussion
and international collaboration between all participants. (2) It will foster the career development and enhance the
visibility of early career researchers through contributed talks and highly engaged poster sessions as well as the
availability of partial meeting support. (3) We strive to enhance the diversity of participants with a focus on women
and attendees from underrepresented minorities, facilitating and promoting both invited and contributed oral
presentations from these groups. We strongly believe that the scientific environment created at this GRC/GRS
will advance research at the intersection between mechanochemistry and mechanobiology in order to develop
and improve strategies to better understand, diagnose and treat diseases with altered mechanoresponses.
