The NIH-funded Center on Probes for Molecular Mechanotechnology, led by Emory chemist Dr. Khalid Salaita, recently hosted a three-day workshop titled “Mechanobiology Methods: From Molecules to Cells.” The event welcomed 16 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from across the country—including participants from Berkeley, Stanford, University of Utah, University of Maryland, University of Minnesota, Brown, Georgia Tech, and University of New Mexico as well as participants from Emory.
Organized by Alishah Lakhani, Associate Director at the Center on Probes for Molecular Mechanotechnology, and Salaita, the workshop was designed to provide interdisciplinary training in molecular mechanobiology. With a full schedule running from 9 AM to 9 PM each day, the program featured 12 lectures and 6 experimental labs, combining foundational instruction with hands-on experience.
“The goal of this workshop is for researchers from different backgrounds—ranging from biological sciences to biophysics and mechanobiology—to gain an understanding and appreciation for molecular mechanobiology,” said Lakhani. “We want participants to leave with the tools and confidence to integrate these methods into their own scientific questions.”
The workshop was generously supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Agilent, VWR, and Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT). Reflecting on the experience, Salaita noted, “It was a heavy lift to launch, but we learned a lot from the experience and plan to run this again next year.”
This initiative underscores the center’s commitment to interdisciplinary research and training, equipping the next generation of scientists with the skills to explore how mechanical forces shape molecular and cellular behavior.
