For the Researcher’s Bookshelf

Mechanics of Biological Systems: Introduction to Mechanobiology and Experimental Techniques By Yun Chen and Seungman Park

Mechanical engineers Yun Chen and Seungman Park created a textbook introducing researchers to the mechanical properties of biological systems, specifically, at three length scales—molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. Thanks to advances in biophysics and bioengineering, biomechanical research at the cellular and molecular level has soared, bringing new knowledge to the field.

In the book, Chen, an INBT associate researcher, and Park, a postdoctoral fellow, explain these properties and how they govern essential biological processes. They describe how to measure them and teach the reader about operational definitions in mechanics, such as force, stress, elasticity, and viscosity.

Hypoxia and Cancer Metastasis By Daniele Gilkes, Editor and Contributing Author

Daniele Gilkes’s research focuses on the role hypoxia plays in breast cancer. Hypoxia refers to low amounts or the absence of oxygen in body tissues. Hypoxic environments can be found in most solid tumors and research shows hypoxia increases the risk of cancer metastasizing and cancer treatment failures.

Created for researchers at all levels, this book provides clarity and a comprehensive understanding of the role hypoxia plays in cancer metastasis. Since 90% of cancer related deaths occur once metastasis occurs, Gilkes, an INBT associate researcher, hopes that the book encourages the development of matched biomarkers and therapeutics for cancers in which hypoxia plays a detrimental role.