Biomechanics of Single Cells and Cell Populations

Cells form the basic unit of life. Their health and activities can be quantified by a multitude of biochemical and biophysical techniques that measure responses to external or internal stimuli. Many experimental approaches attempt to integrate molecular mechanisms with changes in the mechanical properties of cells, such as visocoelasticity and compliance, to link cell function with structure. An emerging view of cellular heterogeneity is that even within homogenous cell populations, individual cells may exhibit unique behavioral characteristics that deviate significantly from the population average. Here, several approaches for quantifying biophysical cellular responses are briefly reviewed and linked to specific underlying molecular mechanisms. We succinctly describe each approach and then elaborate on a new interferometer-based method for higher-throughput biophysical analysis of single cells within populations.