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The Use of Photo-Activatable Materials for the Study of Cell Biomechanics and Mechanobiology

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Polymer and Photonic Materials Towards Biomedical Breakthroughs

Abstract

In biomechanical and mechanobiological applications, the ability of photo-activatable materials to change properties in response to a light (photo) stimulus offers key potential advantages over other activatable materials. Not only can photo-activatable materials be used in close contact or proximity to cells and tissues without the cells or tissues being affected by the photostimulus, but photo-activatable materials also offer a level of spatiotemporal control unavailable with many other forms of smart material triggering, such as ambient heating or hydration. This chapter will give an overview of photo-activatable materials that have been developed to study cell biomechanics and mechanobiology and discuss future potential applications for these promising materials.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Michelle E. Pede & James H. Henderson

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  1. Michelle E. Pede
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  2. James H. Henderson
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Correspondence to James H. Henderson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Polymer Chemistry & Biomaterials Group, Centre of Macromolecular Chemistry, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Jasper Van Hoorick

  2. Brussels Photonics, Department of Applied Physics and Photonics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium

    Heidi Ottevaere

  3. Brussels Photonics, Department of Applied Physics and Photonics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium

    Hugo Thienpont

  4. Polymer Chemistry & Biomaterials Group, Centre of Macromolecular Chemistry, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Peter Dubruel

  5. Polymer Chemistry & Biomaterials Group, Centre of Macromolecular Chemistry, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Sandra Van Vlierberghe

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Pede, M.E., Henderson, J.H. (2018). The Use of Photo-Activatable Materials for the Study of Cell Biomechanics and Mechanobiology. In: Van Hoorick, J., Ottevaere, H., Thienpont, H., Dubruel, P., Van Vlierberghe, S. (eds) Polymer and Photonic Materials Towards Biomedical Breakthroughs. Micro- and Opto-Electronic Materials, Structures, and Systems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75801-5_4

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