BIOMECHANICS CORE FACILITY“SOFT (BIO)MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION” CORE FACILITY
The mechanical properties of materials not only control physical properties but also a still unknown number of biological properties. At the same time, biological systems can change their mechanical properties, as well as the mechanical properties of their environment, for example in cancer or during wound healing. An important task in the engineering of novel molecular systems for biomaterial applications is to characterize the mechanical properties of biological and synthetic materials. The results can have far-reaching implications for understanding and controlling the mechanobiology of tumor microenvironments, organoids, implant materials, and biomaterials in general.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Standardize reproducible mechanical characterizations of soft (bio)materials, tissues, and cells
- As biomaterials are typically viscoelastic and porous, we particularly aim at integrating methods that allow for the quantification of elastic properties (both in tension and compression), viscoelastic properties, and hardness of materials
- Specific sample preparation methods useful for some of the characterization
This is a S2-GMO-facility: experiment with genetically modified and potentially infectious systems (viruses, parasites).
EQUIPMENT
The equipment if the Biomechanics Core Facility is separated into 2 groups. The first one is to measure the properties of the materials, such as elastic properties, viscoelastic properties, and hardness. The second group of devices includes sample preparation methods using cryo-technics.
To standardize reproducible mechanical characterizations of soft (bio)materials, tissues, and cells, the Biomechanics Core Facility is working together with the independant users with good communication to share the knowledge and know-how. It is important to mention and discuss the parameters of the experiment in scientific publications to guarantee reproducibility and comparability.
The Biomechanics Core Facility is taking care of the calibration and other maintenance. If you have any questions about the devices or their accessories, do not hesitate to contact us!
Biomechanics equipment
Biomechanical Characterization
Specimen preparation equipment
Specimen Preparation
Acknowledgement & Publication
Any publication where a device or support from the Biomechanics Core Facility was used must include an acknowledgment like: "We would like to thank the Soft (bio)materials characterization Core Facility (Biomechanics) at IMSEAM Heidelberg University."
If someone from Core Facility staff is actively involved in the research projects, then the person has to be regarded as co-author on the publication.
Furthermore, as the Biomechanics Core Facility is part of the Flagship Initiative Engineering Molecular Systems (FI-EMS), the following acknowledgment is needed: “Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Ministry of Science Baden-Württemberg within the framework of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments of Germany“.
Please, inform the Core Facility about the acknowledgments and every publication.
