Our research group studies the mechanical behaviour of tumour cells, immune cells, and muscle cells.  We investigate, for example, how tumour cells migrate through the body to form metastases, or how immune cells migrate to fight the tumour cells. Cell migration through tissue is driven by the same molecular motors that power our muscle cells – therefore we also study how muscle generates contractile forces, and why muscle cells sometimes fail e.g. in various cardiac and skeletal muscle diseases. We collaborate with research groups worldwide to develop novel technologies that enable us to measure or apply small forces (in the pico-Newton range) and deformations (in the low nano-meter range) that are relevant for cell mechanical functions.

Ben Fabry’s main contribution is the development of an intensive care ventilator that minimizes mechanical damage to the lungs of patients receiving mechanical ventilation. He has identified molecular mechanisms that contribute to cell damage in response to mechanical stretch and discovered that cells behave as soft glassy materials. He has developed techniques to measure cellular force generation (traction force microscopy) as well as magnetic bead-based and microfluidic methods to measure cell mechanical properties. He has also contributed to develop technologies for remote sensing of animal behaviour, in particular of Emperor penguins.  

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