Mechanics that Shape Matter and Life

Mechanochemistry and mechanobiology are converging around a simple idea: force is information. Force can dictate and control reaction pathways, encodes structure-function in materials, and guides cellular decisions. This GRC will showcase breakthroughs that connect molecular bond scission and supramolecular reconfiguration to mesoscale architectures, collective cell behavior, and organismal outcomes. The conference will emphasize predictive rules and design strategies for mechanically adaptive, bioinspired systems across environments, and illuminate force-driven processes underlying growth, regeneration, and aging. The program will highlight advances in our understanding of mechanochemistry and mechanobiology that open avenues in sustainable synthesis, smart materials, mechanodiagnostics, and therapeutics.

Integrating experimental and computational approaches, the sessions are designed to draw connections across scales and disciplines. Chemists, biologists, engineers, and physicists will interrogate each other’s assumptions, translate language between fields, and develop frameworks that link molecular mechanisms to life's processes and innovative materials. We aim to catalyze discussions around open problems – predicting reactivity under load, encoding force logic in adaptive materials, and linking mechanical cues to cell fate and tissue development. This GRC thereby facilitates the development of unifying principles that govern mechanical behavior. The accompanying Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) will empower early-career scientists to present unpublished work, build networks, and carry momentum directly into the GRC’s deep-dive discussions.