6/18/2012 By Kate Leifheit 2 min read
Written by By Kate Leifheit
Saif has made influential contributions in the fields of nanomaterials and cell mechanics. It has long been considered that the strength of materials is determined by their microstructural size, such as the size of their grains. Saif revealed that both size and the heterogeneity of the microstructure, such as the average size of the grains and the size distribution, together determine the mechanical behavior of materials at nanoscale. He explained the underlying mechanism of this combined role. At nanoscale, this combined role results in interesting properties, such as metal structures made with nanograins that may self-heal from a dent; for example, an impact that creates a dent in a car bumper may recover its original shape.
In the field of cell mechanics, Saif discovered for the first time a link between mechanical force in neuron cells of animals, and their memory and learning. It is believed that biochemical processes are the basis for memory formation and learning. He revealed that neurons generate mechanical tension, and that tension is essential for the memory formation. This finding is a new paradigm on our understanding of memory, and it offers potential new approaches to treat neurological diseases.
Saif’s research group has also made a recent discovery involving cancer cells. They found that cancer cells can exhibit metastasis in vitro (on a petri dish) induced solely by an appropriate mechanical softness of their microenvironment. Modeling of the metastasis process on a petri dish may allow testing of a wide variety of cancer treating drugs before they are tested in animals. This may provide an easier, cheaper, and faster way to test cancer drugs.