NEW CENTER TO FOCUS ON CELL MECHANICS CONTINUED


Novel applications such as engineered tissues, nutrition, and biological nanomachines will also benefit from an improved understanding of cell mechanics. While there are other academic centers devoted to cell engineering, LeDuc notes that Carnegie Mellon is unique in the depth and breadth of its research scope. “Our new Center for the Mechanics and Engineering of Cellular Systems is the only center worldwide that spans individual molecules to multicellular biomechanics from a systems perspective,” LeDuc explains. “We have researchers working from the subcellular level all the way up to the organism level.”


LeDuc: A Pioneer in Cell Mechanics While the new Center brings together faculty and researchers from across the University—including many faculty from Biomedical Engineering (BME)—LeDuc spear- headed this effort because he was an early faculty member in this field at Carnegie Mellon.


“When I joined the MechE faculty in 2002, I was the first


professor in the Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT) who was focused on cell mechanics,” says LeDuc. “Over the years, CIT has added excellent new faculty in this growing area of engineering. We recognized that we had reached ‘critical mass’ and it was time to establish the University’s global leadership in this field.”


“I’m delighted to see a faculty member from the Depart- ment of Mechanical Engineering lead such an innovative and impressive team of faculty and researchers,” says Department Head Nadine Aubry. “Clearly Philip LeDuc has been a pioneer in applying mechanical approaches to understanding cellular behavior. It is gratifying to see his work result in the formation of a new world-class Center which will bring together many researchers at Carnegie Mellon—and establish even stronger ties between MechE and BME.”


In his own leading-edge research, LeDuc envisions cells and molecules as “systems” that can be investigated with some of the same fundamental approaches used on machines such as planes and automobiles, with a view


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toward unifying principles. These systems can range from mammalian cells and microorganisms to developmental biology systems, such as magnetic field sensing and ener- gy-generating cells. LeDuc applies principles from mechani- cal engineering fields—including solid mechanics, control theory, fluidics, design, etc.—to understand how these principles may apply across diverse nature-based systems.


MechE Brings Diverse Expertise In addition to LeDuc, at least three other MechE faculty members will be members of the new Center. Assistant Professor Jessica Zhang develops new algorithms for biomodeling at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ scales. The research of Associate Professor Burak Ozdoganlar focuses on the development and analysis of novel processes and equipment for micro/nano-manufacturing— with practical applications in the biomedical field at the molecular, cellular, and multicellular levels. Professor Metin Sitti develops mechanically governed


robotics technologies for a variety of applications, including tiny bacterial-based swimming robots that can enter areas such as the human spinal column, where they can monitor disease conditions or deliver medicine. “The new Center for the Mechanics and Engineering of Cellular Systems brings our own diverse engineering expertise together with other internationally recognized experts across the University including researchers from the schools of engineering, Mellon College of Science, and the School of Computer Science,” says LeDuc. “By leverag- ing the longstanding interdisciplinary culture of Carnegie Mellon, we can combine a range of engineering approaches and fundamental science to make rapid advances in this field. This approach is especially important in the Depart- ment of Mechanical Engineering, where we enjoy and thrive on collaboration. I’m excited about the innovations that will surely result from this new degree of energy, excitement, and focus.” For more information, visit the new Center’s Web site at www.cmu.edu/cmecs.•


CARNEGIE MECH


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