Mechanical Characterization of Biopolymer and the Effects of Mechanical Properties of Extracellular Matrix on Cell Behaviours

Abstract

Collagen plays important functions in animal biology at different length-scale. At the macroscopic level, collagen provides tissues and organs with resistance, elasticity and flexibility properties to withstand tensile, compression and shear stresses. At the microscopic level, collagen has extensive influence on cell behaviors as it is an essential structural component of the microenvironment in which cells reside. In view of its importance, a better understanding of the rheological properties of collagen at different length-scale will potentially be useful for tissue engineering and to elucidate the dynamic interplay between cancer cells and the physical microenvironment during cancer progression. The first part of the thesis involved the use of conventional macrorheological technique to uncover the rich mechanical properties of collagen. The existence of inherent network heterogeneity and the importance of short length-scale mechanics within biopolymer networks prompted the development of a robust microscale diagnostic tool in the second part of the thesis.