Micromechanical characterization of plant cells

Our group developed the cellular force microscope (CFM), which is a microrobotic platform for mechanical stimulation and characterization of living cells at different scales ranging from individual cells and tissues of cells to organs [1,2]. The CFM combines a three-axis positioning system offering a centimeter travel range and a nanometer resolution with a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based capacitive force sensor (Femtotools AG, Buchs ZH, Switzerland), with adjustable force ranges from ±100 µN to ±100’000 µN with nN resolution (Fig. 1). The system produces accurate quantitative data which is given as input parameters to mathematical models and simulations in order to provide insights into intricate biomechanical growth mechanisms.