Micro-tweezers and Force Microscopy Techniques for Single-Cell Mechanobiological Analysis

In the past two decades, the field of cell mechanobiology has witnessed tremendous advances in bioengineering approaches for facilitating disease diagnosis and regenerative medicine. Cells can sense mechanical stimuli from their dynamic tissue microenvironment and convert them into biochemical signals that drive a wide variety of cellular behaviors and processes. Micro-tweezers have been particularly recognized as powerful tools that can stimulate and control the mechanical cues upon single cells and probe the associated cellular responses. Meanwhile, force microscopy techniques have been indispensable for quantifying and profiling cell force dynamics. This chapter discusses the principles of recently established micro-tweezers and force-sensing platforms, highlighting their capabilities, limitations, and potential integration for a single-cell mechanobiological analysis.