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Micro Biomechanics Lab
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The lab studies the forces acting on cells and plants and their responses, in the field of biomechanics.
AboutAbout the lab
Understanding cells through the eyes of mechanical engineering
The Micro Biomechanics Lab, building on biomechanics (the mechanics of living things), works on a variety of themes including cells, tissues, and plants.
The lab aims to understand how cells function more deeply from a mechanical engineering perspective, and to create practical devices and technologies useful in medicine.
The research is divided into the fields of cell and tissue biomechanics, bio-MEMS, computational biomechanics, and plant biomechanics.
Students present their research results and discuss them at a weekly research meeting, and because the lab actively accepts international students, there are regular opportunities to use English.
Key terms
- Biomechanics
- The study of how the bodies and cells of living things work, using mechanical concepts such as force and deformation
- Bio-MEMS
- A field that uses semiconductor microfabrication technology to build small devices for handling cells and other samples
- Young's modulus
- A value expressing how hard a material is to stretch (its stiffness). It is found from the pulling force and the proportion of stretch
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to deeply understand how cells function from a mechanical engineering perspective and to create devices and technologies useful in medicine. It conducts biomechanics research in four fields: cells and tissues, bio-MEMS, computation, and plants.
*Illustrative imageAngiogenesis under microgravity
The lab builds devices to observe angiogenesis, in which new blood vessels grow from existing ones, and conducts experiments applying microgravity. Effects were seen on the proliferation and shape of the cells lining the vessels, and on adhesion between cells.
*Illustrative imageCell motility and cancer cell migration
Focusing on Rac1, a molecule responsible for cell motility, the lab analyzes stained images and time-lapse images with deep learning to identify cancer "leader cells."
*Illustrative imageStretching and measuring primary cilia
The lab uses a custom-built device to stretch primary cilia, hair-like organelles protruding from the cell surface. The aim is to determine mechanical properties such as Young's modulus from the relationship between force and strain.
*Illustrative imageThe pulling force of smooth muscle cells
Using smooth muscle cells, the lab investigates the basics of how the cytoskeleton inside cells contributes to the force (traction force) with which cells pull on their scaffold.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Micro Biomechanics Lab consist of faculty members and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2025
- ProfessorToshiro Ohashi
- Assistant ProfessorRyota Toyohara
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Fibroblastid” Heiti Paves / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Angiogenesis under microgravity: “Bovine Pulmonary Artery Endothelial Cells Fluorescent Image” Erin Rod / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Cell motility and cancer cell migration: “The internal structure of a migrating cancer cell” Brian6122 / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Stretching and measuring primary cilia: “Cilia Estructura” Maulin M. Patel ; Leonidas Tsiokas / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- The pulling force of smooth muscle cells: “Embryonic smooth muscle cell” National Institutes of Health (NIH) / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Biomaterial and Biomechanical Design Lab): “Scanning electron microscopy of collagen fibers” NIH Image Gallery / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Space Environment Applied Engineering Lab): “Candle Flame in Microgravity” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Engine Systems and Next-Generation Fuels Lab): “Internal combustion engine pistons of partial cross-sectional view” Mj-bird / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Materials Function Engineering Lab): “Al tensile test” Sigmund / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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