While the motion and collective behavior of cells are well-studied on flat surfaces or in unconfined liquid media, in most natural settings, cells thrive in complex 3D environments. Bioprinting processes are capable of structuring cells in 3D and conventional bioprinting approaches address this challenge by embedding cells in bio-degradable polymer networks. However, heterogeneity in network structure and biodegradation often preclude quantitative studies of cell behavior in specified 3D architectures. Here, I will present a new approach to 3D bioprinting of cellular communities that utilizes jammed, granular polyelectrolyte microgels as a support medium. The self-healing nature of this medium allows the creation of highly precise cellular communities and tissue-like structures by direct injection of cells inside the 3D medium. Further, the transparent nature of this medium enables precise characterization of cellular behavior. I will describe two examples of my work using this platform to study the behavior of two different classes of cells in 3D. First, I will describe how we interrogate the growth, viability, and migration of mammalian cells—ranging from epithelial cells, cancer cells, and T cells—in the 3D pore space. Second, I will describe how we interrogate the migration of E. coli bacteria through the 3D pore space. Direct visualization enables us to reveal a new mode of motility exhibited by individual cells, in stark contrast to the paradigm of run-and-tumble motility, in which cells are intermittently and transiently trapped as they navigate the pore space; further, analysis of these dynamics enables prediction of single-cell transport over large length and time scales. Moreover, we show that concentrated populations of E. coli can collectively migrate through a porous medium—despite being strongly confined—by chemotactically “surfing” a self-generated nutrient gradient. Together, these studies highlight how the jammed microgel medium provides a powerful platform to design and interrogate complex cellular communities in 3D—with implications for tissue engineering, microtissue mechanics, studies of cellular interactions, and biophysical studies of active matter.

A key question for basic biology and regenerative medicine concerns the way in which evolution exploits physics toward adaptive form and function. While genomes specify the molecular hardware of cells, what algorithms enable cellular collectives to reliably build specific, complex, target morphologies? Our lab studies the way in which all cells, not just neurons, communicate as electrical networks that enable scaling of single-cell properties into collective intelligences that solve problems in anatomical feature space. By learning to read, interpret, and write bioelectrical information in vivo, we have identified some novel controls of growth and form that enable incredible plasticity and robustness in anatomical homeostasis. In this talk, I will describe the fundamental knowledge gaps with respect to anatomical plasticity and pattern control beyond emergence, and discuss our efforts to understand large-scale morphological control circuits. I will show examples in embryogenesis, regeneration, cancer, and synthetic living machines. I will also discuss the implications of this work for not only regenerative medicine, but also for fundamental understanding of the origin of bodyplans and the relationship between genomes and functional anatomy.

The coordinated migration of groups of cells underlies many biological processes, including embryo development, wound healing and cancer metastasis. In many of these situations, tissues are able to tune themselves between liquid-like states, where cells flow collectively as in a liquid, and solid-like states that can support shear stresses. In this talk I will describe mesoscopic models of cell assemblies inspired by active matter physics to examine the roles of cell motility, cell crowding and the interplay of contractility and adhesion in controlling the rheological state of biological tissue.

Over the past five years, our understanding of how mechanical processes act across multiple scales to direct morphogenesis has advanced significantly. Yet, there remain numerous open questions, including the role of mechanics in tissue shaping, cancer dissemination, and cellular aging. The From Molecules to Organs:The Mechanobiology of Morphogenesis conference will bring together world leaders in the fields of mechanobiology and morphogenesis. The three-day conference will span scales, from single molecules up to whole organisms.

Over the past five years, our understanding of how mechanical processes act across multiple scales to direct morphogenesis has advanced significantly. Yet, there remain numerous open questions, including the role of mechanics in tissue shaping, cancer dissemination, and cellular aging. The From Molecules to Organs:The Mechanobiology of Morphogenesis conference will bring together world leaders in the fields of mechanobiology and morphogenesis. The three-day conference will span scales, from single molecules up to whole organisms.

Life of biological molecules spans time and length scales relevant at atomic to cellular time and length scales. Hence, novel molecular modeling approaches are required to be inherently multi-scale. Here we describe multiple methodologies developed in our laboratory: rapid discrete molecular dynamics simulation algorithm, protein design and structural refinement tools. Using these methodologies, we describe therapeutic strategies to combat this HIV and cancer, as well as design novel approaches for controlling proteins in living cells and organisms.

The consortium of microbes living in and on our bodies is intimately connected with human biology and deeply influenced by physical forces. Despite incredible gains in describing this community, and emerging knowledge of the mechanisms linking it to human health, understanding the basic physical properties and responses of this ecosystem has been comparatively neglected. Most diseases have significant physical effects on the gut; diarrhea alters osmolality, fever and cancer increase temperature, and bowel diseases affect pH. Furthermore, the gut itself is comprised of localized niches that differ significantly in their physical environment, and are inhabited by different commensal microbes. Understanding the impact of common physical factors is necessary for engineering robust microbiota members and communities; however, our knowledge of how they affect the gut ecosystem is poor. We are investigating how changes in osmolality affect the host and the microbial community and lead to mechanical shifts in the cellular environment. Osmotic perturbation is extremely prevalent in humans, caused by the use of laxatives, lactose intolerance, or celiac disease. In our studies we monitored osmotic shock to the microbiota using a comprehensive and novel approach, which combined in vivo experiments to imaging, physical measurements, computational analysis and highly controlled microfluidic experiments. By bridging several disciplines, we developed a mechanistic understanding of the processes involved in osmotic diarrhea, linking single-cell biophysical changes to large-scale community dynamics. Our results indicate that physical perturbations can profoundly and permanently change the competitive and ecological landscape of the gut, and affect the cell wall of bacteria differentially, depending on their mechanical characteristics.