title: Microactuator device for integrated measurement of epithelium mechanics.
abstract: Mechanical forces are among important factors that drive cellular function and organization. We present a microfabricated device with on-chip actuation for mechanical testing of single cells. An integrated immersible electrostatic actuator system is demonstrated that applies calibrated forces to cells. We conduct stretching experiments by directly applying forces to epithelial cells adhered to device surfaces functionalized with collagen. We measure mechanical properties including stiffness, hysteresis and visco-elasticity of adherent cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Vikram
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mukundan
authors.forename: W James
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Beth L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Pruitt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002138:Calibration; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D004285:Dogs; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D061985:Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D055616:Microtechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018511:Systems Integration