The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $314,769 CAREER grant to the University of Delaware to develop novel magnetic material platforms for probing spatiotemporal mechanobiology. The project, funded through the NSF Integrative Activities (IA) program (CFDA 47.083), aims to advance the fundamental understanding of how cells and tissues communicate information about their mechanical environment. The research will create magnetic materials that can dynamically change local stiffness to mimic biological events like tissue injury or disease. Experiments will measure how this local stiffening spreads through surrounding cells over space and time to elucidate the underlying mechanobiological signaling pathways. The project also includes educational objectives to stimulate STEM knowledge and interest through the development of mechanobiology-themed board games and community outreach. This 5-year project intends to provide new tools for studying spatiotemporal mechanobiology and inform strategies to treat conditions involving altered tissue mechanics.
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