The Mission of the Center is to:

• provide a greater understanding of mechanical properties associated with biological materials whose primary function is to sense environmental changes and respond by generating force or being modified by applied force. (These materials are mainly polymers, and the scale over which we will investigate their properties is from the molecular level (~nm) to the whole organism level (~cm to m));
  
  
• develop and refine the necessary instrumentation required to characterize these properties at multiple scales and to use this knowledge to provide hierarchical design approaches required to engineer devices capable of sensing and actuation at all scales for realization of new material systems;
  
  
• transfer this knowledge to the engineering and scientific community, providing additional insight into the understanding of living systems and means of capturing design concepts and self-assembly methods required to engineer sensing and actuation devices; &
  
  
• provide a mechanism for outreach to our community through educational opportunities that allow us to share our enthusiasm, energy, and knowledge gained through our adventures into unknown areas of science, thereby inspiring the young scientists and engineers of the future.