Even for a second-year PhD student researching the mechanics of living cells, the influence of physical forces within the world of living things is a source of wonder. “I did undergrad in engineering mechanics, and ever since I started to look at cells, the more I’ve found it fascinating to look at them as delicate ‘machines,’” says Haiqian Yang. “The cells are ‘smart’ for sure, but I believe they cannot escape physical laws. So where is the limit? Are there fundamental governing laws driving structure formation and multicellular dynamics just…
