Characterizing the mechanical properties of materials using indentation has been around for centuries. It has recently emerged as the technique of choice for evaluating and characterizing hard and soft tissue. Recent work on mechanotransduction - the transduction of 
biological signals through mechanical signals also provides fertile ground for work in this area.
It has also been used in understanding the different cell functions and in assessing the soundness of various nanoBIO devices. At this conference, organized by the nanoBIO Node at Illinois, leading experts and scientists will discuss the current and future trends in nanoindentation and its application in mechanotransduction and the mechanical characterization of soft materials.
The workshop will be held at the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory (MNTL) at the University of Illinois at the Urbana-Champaign campus on April 1-2, 2015.
For additional details, contact Workshop Organizers Nahil Sobh or Iwona Jasiuk
Here's the Workshop Agenda
Topics covered:
Probing the Mechanical Properties of Materials at Small Scales with Nanoindentation;
Case studies in Nanoindentation
George Pharr, UTK, Oak Ridge National Lab
Experimental Variations in Nanoindentation Testing;
Nanoindentation of hydrogels and soft biological tissues
Michelle Oyen, Cambridge University
AFM-Based Mechanical Testing Techniques;
Analysis Technique Selection and Practical Tips for Sample Preparation
Kathy Walsh, Materials Research Laboratory, Univ. of Illinois
AFM-Based High-Freq. Rheology of Cartilage as a Sensitive Method to Measure Matrix Degradation;
Fluid-solid interactions within Aggrecan Proteoglycan Networks
Hadi Nia, MIT
Advances in Nanoindentation Techniques for Wood Cell Walls
Joseph E. Jakes, USDA, UW-Madison
Indentation: a Simple and Robust Method to Characterize Poroelasticity of Gels
Yuhang Hu, Univ. of Illinois
Exploring Protoelastic Nature of the Cytoplasm through AFM;
Using AFM to Characterize the Central Nervous System
Emad Moeendarbary, MIT
