Mechanobiology of Cell Growth

This lecture explores the mechanobiology of cell growth, focusing on the essential components of mechanobiology, such as cantilever properties, force curve-based sample characterization, force spectroscopy, and cell-cell adhesion. It delves into imaging modes, high-resolution imaging techniques, key inventions in atomic force microscopy, and biophysical aspects of cell separation in Mycobacterium smegmatis. The lecture also covers the role of mechanical forces in cell separation, stress modulation mediated by cell wall digesting enzymes, and the impact of turgor pressure on growth. Additionally, it discusses the bacterial cell wall architecture, growth strategies of bacterial, yeast, and plant cells, osmotic pressure, and the estimation of osmotic pressure. The mechanisms of tension-dependent growth and mechanical feedback in regulating plant growth are also examined.