Center for Mechanical
Excitability
Mission
We focus on the understanding of the mechanobiome, where biological forces are sensed, transduced, and exerted as part of a broad range of physiological and pathophysiological processes.
Leadership
Labs
Research
Our center is to lead the development of the nascent discipline of mechanobiome, at the mechanistic and discovery science levels, using an advanced toolkit that includes: biochemistry, biophysics, cell and molecular biology, structural biology and imaging, as well as AI-driven computational modeling and bioinformatics. At a basic level, our main goal is to decode the general mechanistic principles that relate function with protein movement, force transduction and its associated fluctuation dynamics.
Areas of Inquiry
Sensory Mechanotransduction
The study of hair cell development and electrical signaling in auditory and vestibular physiology.
Scaffolds and Motors
The role of molecular motors, cytoskeleton and associated biochemical signaling pathways in cellular and tissue formation.
Mechanical Signaling
Biophysics & Technology Development
Labs
A world class team has been assembled to carry out,
in a highly collaborative and integrative way, the key experiments that will transform our fundamental
understanding of the role protein dynamics play in
linking structure and function.
Araç
Dinner
Gardel
Kossiakoff
La Riviere
Munro
Rock
Sotomayor
Basu
Eatock
Glotzer
Kovar
Lee
Perozo
Roux
Squires
Vitelli
Bezanilla
Fang
Huang
Krishnan
Malamy
Ranganathan
Sosnick
Tian
“Although mechanically-driven phenomena touch almost every fundamental process in biology, their molecular mechanisms are yet to be established. This represents a unique greenfield opportunity that spans naturally from the most basic biology to the understanding and treatment of diseases”
Eduardo Perozo, Director
News
A Statement from our Director
Director's Statement Center for Mechanical Excitability's Director Talks About Center's Mission and Goals "Living cells are continuously exposed to mechanical forces while at the same time physically influencing and adapting to their surroundings. Recent...