Mechanics of cells in disordered environments

Living cells typically grow and move in a 3D fibrous matrix such as collagen. Macroscopically, these biopolymer matrices exhibit striking nonlinear mechanical responses. At the scale of the cell, the network is highly disordered. The implications of the extreme mechanical response and structural disorder of the matrix for cells embedded in the meshwork remain largely elusive. In fact, it is unknown what the network mechanics looks like from the perspective of such a cell, and it is unclear how the cell interacts with this network at the microscopic scale to sense stfiness and regulate the mechanics of its surrounding matrix. In this talk, I will present our recent theoretical and experimental progress to understand how cells mechanically interface with their environment. Finally, I will discuss how such structured confining environments, which we mimick by using micropatterns, affect cell migration.