2024 Multiscale Mechanochemistry and Mechanobiology Gordon Research Conference and Seminar - 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 We aim to reach these goals via three specific aims: (1) The GRC/GRS will provide a platform for presenting unpublished data across a wide range of emerging topics and promote interdisciplinary discussion and international collaboration between all participants.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.
