Cellular Biomechanics

Cellular Biomechanics treats the cell as a mechanical system: a soft, active material whose growth, motility, division, and adhesion are governed by forces, stresses, and polymer physics rather than by biochemistry alone. You'll review the statistical mechanics of polymers alongside the solid and fluid mechanics you already know, then apply that toolkit to the cytoskeleton, biomembranes, and mechanotransduction, culminating in a presentation on a current research topic. It's a graduate elective that bridges classical ME training and modern biophysics, useful if you're heading toward biomedical, soft-matter, or experimental mechanics research.