The research in the Nanoscale Mechanobiology laboratory, led by Associate Prof. Tony Kanchanawong, is at the interface of cell biology, biophysics, and advanced imaging technology. We develop and apply super-resolution microscopy and advanced imaging techniques to decipher how biological functions arise from multi-scale organization of biomolecular components. We are particularly interested in cell migration and cell-cell interactions, which are essential for proper development and growth of tissues, and which are implicated in serious pathologies such as cancer.

In particular, we are tackling the Bottlenecks in imaging and molecular-control technologies at the nano/mesoscale (10-200 nm) which have long limited the ability of scientists to investigate biological systems Importantly, the nanoscale is the scale whereby proteins are organized into supramolecular machinery that perform many key cellular functions, but which has still been largely unexplored. We have made a number of pioneering contributions in this area (see publications). Our research projects encompass a highly interdisciplinary approach that amalgamate both technology development, molecular mechanistic dissection, and cell biological manipulation, addressing the following key overarching questions:
1) How are massive molecular complexes such as the cell adhesions complexes spatially organized, and how can we visualize them?
2) What is the molecular principles governing their self-assembly and nanoscale organization?
3) How do structural organizations at the molecular-scale relate to mechano-biological functions at cellular or tissue levels?