Biological Systems and Materials

Biological Systems and Materials Division - Updated May 2007

TD Focus: Investigations, including experimental, of biological and biologically inspired materials and systems, with an emphasis on structure, property and process relationships.

The Biological Systems and Materials Division has been focusing on embracing and serving the duality of its membership, which consists of many established members of the society and the field of theoretical and applied mechanics who are developing research programs focusing on biological systems and materials, and simultaneously numerous researchers from the biological sciences who are adopting the experimental and analytical techniques of mechanics.  In 2006-2007, TD activities have included hosting numerous sessions at the 2006 Annual Conference; organizing a special issue of the journal Experimental Mechanics on "Mechanics of Organic, Implant and Bio-Inspired Materials," which will be appearing as the June issue; encouraging TD-related submissions to the regular issues of Experimental Mechanics; and developing numerous sessions within an entire conference track for the 2007 Annual Conference.

The Biological Systems and Materials Division organized 6 sessions at the 2006 SEM Annual Conference in St. Louis, MO.  These sessions covered a variety of research areas, including mechanisms and mechanics of injury in biomechanics, biologically inspired materials and structures, mechanical microsensors for biological applications, and experimental techniques for musculosketetal and soft tissue analysis.  Several members of the local biomedical engineering community in St. Louis, MO, were invited to present their work in these sessions.  Several presentations that overlapped in focus between our TD and other TDs could be found in additional sessions on composites, MEMS, dynamic testing, and time dependent materials.  Students of TD members also participated in the student competition.  The TD also co-sponsored a pre-conference course on “Biological Frameworks for Engineers:  a Basic Primer on Biological Principles for Advanced Engineering and Medical Solutions” instructed by David Nuckley.

For the 2007 SEM Annual Conference in Saint Louis, MO, the Technical Division is growing and will have 14 sessions within Track 1:  Conference Track organized by the TD "Mechanical and Microstructural Analysis of Biological and Bio-Inspired Systems and Materials.”  These papers focus on the following research areas: bio-inspired materials and biomimetic composites, nanomechanics and MEMS for biological applications, dynamic testing of biological tissues and biomaterials, experimental mechanics and kinematics of the natural world, fracture and fatigue of biomaterials, high strain rate testing of biological and soft materials, optics for biomechanics imaging, measurements, modeling, design, and testing of implantable devices, and bioinspired education.  This track will be highlighted by a one-day symposium on “Biological and Implant Mechanics," including a keynote presentation by Dr. C.A. Taylor, as well as a reception for the TD on the evening first full day of the conference.  TD member Dr. Ken Perry both organized and secured substantial industrial funding for this symposium and reception.  Six of the sessions within this track will be co-sponsored sessions with other Technical Divisions across SEM (Time Dependent Materials, MEMs and Nanomaterials, Fracture and Fatigue, Composites, and Optical Methods).  During the conference, the 2007 Hetenyi Award will be given to a paper published by a W.N. Everett, P. Shih, and J.D. Humphrey, “A Bi-plane Video-based System for Studying the Mechanics of Arterial Bifurcations” (Experimental Mechanics, 2005, 45: 377-382), which is in the scope of the TD and represents work performed in the laboratory of a Biomedical Engineering professor.