The interplay between the mechanical properties of cells and the forces that they produce
internally or that are externally applied to them play an important role in maintaining the …

Mechanical forces play important roles in the regulation of various biological processes at
the molecular and cellular level, such as gene expression, adhesion, migration, and cell …

Mammalian fertilization requires the coordinated activity of motile spermatozoa, muscular
contractions of the uterus and oviduct, as well as ciliary beating. These elastic structures …

Robotic micromanipulation is a relatively young field. However, after three decades of
development and evolution, the fundamental physics; techniques for sensing, actuation, and …

The causes of embryonic arrest during pre-implantation development are poorly understood.
Attempts to correlate patterns of oocyte gene expression with successful embryo …

In recent years, the combination of synthetic micro‐and nanomaterials with spermatozoa as
functional components has led to the development of tubular and helical spermbots …

Glass micropipettes, atomic force microscope tips and nanoneedles can be used to
interrogate cells, but these devices either have conical geometries that can damage cells …

In eukaryotic cells, small changes in cell volume can serve as important signals for cell
proliferation, death, and migration. Volume and shape regulation also directly impacts the …

Polyspermy is an important anomaly of fertilization in placental mammals, causing
premature death of the embryo. It is especially frequent under in vitro conditions …

Microorganisms have played a critical role in geological processes and in the formation of
soils throughout the geological times. It is hypothesized that biological activity can also affect …