Mechanics of Biological Systems & Micro- and Nanomechanics represents one of eight volumes of technical papers presented at the 2018 SEM Annual Conference and Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics organized by the Society for Experimental Mechanics and held in Greenville, SC, from June 4 to 7, 2018. The complete proceedings also include volumes on Dynamic Behavior of Materials; Challenges in Mechanics of Time-Dependent Materials; Advancement of Optical Methods & Digital Image Correlation in Experimental Mechanics; Mechanics of Composite, Hybrid and Multifunctional Materials; Fracture, Fatigue, Failure and Damage Evolution; Residual Stress, Thermomechanics & Infrared Imaging, Hybrid Techniques and Inverse Problems; and Mechanics of Additive and Advanced Manufacturing.
Each collection presents early findings from experimental and computational investigations on an important area within experimental mechanics, the mechanics of biological systems, micro- and nanomechanics, and other experimental and applied mechanics such as education and research in progress.
The Biological Systems and Materials segment of this volume summarizes the exchange of ideas and information among scientists and engineers involved in the research and analysis of how mechanical loads interact with the structure, properties, and function of living organisms and their tissues. The scope includes experimental, imaging, numerical, and mathematical techniques and tools spanning various length and time scales. Establishing this symposium at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Experimental Mechanics provides a venue where state-of-the-art experimental methods can be leveraged in the study of biological and bio-inspired materials, traumatic brain injury, cell mechanics, and biomechanics in general. A major goal of the symposium was for participants to collaborate in the asking of fundamental questions and the development of new techniques to address bio-inspired problems in society, human health, and the natural world. The organizers would like to thank all the speakers and staff at SEM for enabling a successful program