REU Site: Mechanobiology at VCU

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA

Investigators

Abstract

This REU site in Mechanobiology at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Engineering will annually engage a diverse cohort of undergraduate students and faculty members in biomedical engineering research projects in areas related to mechanobiology. Mechanobiology is an emerging field at the interface of biology and engineering that focuses on how physical forces and changes in the mechanical properties of cells and tissues contribute to development, physiology, and disease. The field of mechanobiology is a rapidly expanding research area that requires a unique set of interdisciplinary skills. The individual projects in this REU program will be focused on gaining interdisciplinary skills related to cell mechanics, mechanobiology in drug delivery, pulmonary mechanics, and orthopedic regenerative medicine. Furthermore, trainees will learn the basic scientific method, statistics skills, research ethics, and the workings of collaborative biomedical research laboratories. This 10 week summer REU site has 3 goals for the participants. The first goal is to increase participation in mechanobiology research. The second goal is to provide opportunities to enhance scientific literacy and communication at the interface of engineering and life sciences. The third goal is to prepare trainees for graduate study or research careers in mechanobiology or related fields. The students will be equipped with cutting-edge research skills in mechanobiology including microfabricated post arrays, mechanotransduction pathway analysis, FRET-based force sensing, cell-material interactions, and mechanically enabled drug delivery. Student participants will also participate in a local outreach activity that enhances engineering knowledge of K-12 students and teachers. At weekly meetings, students will learn about research techniques, participate in journal clubs, and hear talks from experts in mechanobiology. At the end of each summer, students will participate in a research symposium and draft abstracts to present their work at a national engineering meeting. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.