Harvard Professor to Give Talk on ‘Mechanobiology and Developmental Control’

WORCESTER, Mass. – Donald E. Ingber, Judah Folkman Professor of vascular biology at Harvard Medical School and researcher for the Vascular Biology Program at Children’s Hospital Boston, will give a talk titled “Mechanobiology and Developmental Control” on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. in Rehm Library at the College of the Holy Cross. The talk, free and open to the public, is intended for a general audience.

Ingber’s research focuses on understanding how cell structure and mechanics affect cellular biochemistry and tissue development. He and members of his research group utilize techniques from a wide range of fields, including molecular cell biology, engineering, chemistry, physics, and computer science. His research has resulted in numerous important observations and discoveries, including the concept that living cells stabilize their internal cytoskeleton, and control their shape and mechanics, using an architectural system first described by Buckminster Fuller, known as “tensegrity.” Findings from the Ingber laboratory are currently being used to develop a wide range of practical applications in areas ranging from clinical diagnostics to nanoscale medical devices, engineered tissues, and biologically-inspired materials for tissue repair and reconstruction.

The talk is sponsored by the biochemistry concentration; biology department; chemistry department; the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture; and the National Science Foundation.