1. Prof. Sonia Contera, Biological Physics, PhD Biological Physics , Physics Department, University of Oxford, UK
Expertise in:
Quantitative measurements of mechanical properties of live cells in physiological environment using atomic force microscopy
"Mapping nanomechanical properties of live cells using multi-harmonic atomic force microscopy" Raman A, Trigueros S, Cartagena A, Stevenson APZ, Susilo M, Nauman E, and Contera SA. Nature Nanotechnology 6:809-14
Quantitative measurements of mechanical (viscoelasticity, poroelasticity) of polymers and polymer matrices for tissue engineering
“Sub-nanoscale free volume and local elastic modulus of chitosan/carbon nanotube biomimetic nanocomposite scaffold-materials" Axpe E, Bugnicourt E, Merida D, Goiriena-Goikoetxea M, Unzueta I, Sanchez-Eugenia R, Garcia J A, Plazaola F and Contera SA. Journal of Materials Chemistry B 2015,
High resolution quantitative atomic force microscopy in solution of biological interfaces
"Direct mapping of the solid-liquid adhesion energy with subnanometre resolution"2010. Voitchovsky K, Kuna JJ, Contera SA, Tosatti E, and Stellacci F. Nature Nanotechnology 5:401-5.
Magnetic nanomaterials for tissue engineering and other biomedical applications
Magneto-electrical orientation of lipid-coated graphitic micro-particles in solution. J Nguyen, S Contera, I. Llorente García, RSC Advances, 2016, 52,
Multiscale biophysics, the physics that connects biology from the nanometre scale of proteins to the scale of cells and tissues
Electromechanical coupling in neurons

2. Expected benefits and activities during participation in BIONECA:
Share experience with groups who work on tissue engineering in the brain
Share my knowledge of mechanics of cells , polymer physics, mechanotransduction and quantitative measurement of mechanics at the nano and micro scale with groups doing tissue engineering
Share my knowledge of mechanoelectrical coupling in neurons for the design of materials for tissue engineering
Share my knowledge in high resolution atomic force microscopy for characterisation of cells and materials
Learn about advances in materials for tissue engineering
Learn physics and materials challenges for tissue engineering of the brain and in cardiology
Would like to gather innovative combination of partners for new projects` applications
Foreseen maximum contribution: in WG2