We build micro-devices that control the environment of living cells, and we image those cells down to the molecular scale to understand how they sense and generate mechanical force.
We are part of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, where engineers and biologists work side by side.
Our research → | Publications →
What we do
Bio-MEMS
Cells are micrometers in size, which is the same scale as the fabrication tools developed for computer chips. We use these tools to build custom microenvironments and microfluidic devices that give us spatial and chemical control over cells, so we can ask questions about cell mechanics that are hard to answer otherwise.
Cryo-EM of cells
We know a great deal about the forces cells generate, but far less about how the adhesive proteins behind those forces are organized at the nanometer scale. We combine micropatterning, cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), traction force microscopy, and live-cell imaging to see how physical cues shape the architecture of cells and tissues.
Read more about our research →
Latest news
- Oct 2026: New paper by Amit in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces: gold EM grids with anisotropic foil geometry that guide cell alignment directly on the grid. Read the paper
- Sep 2026: Nadav and Amit received their MSc degrees. Congratulations!
- Apr 2026: The Technion secured a grant for two new cryo-EM systems (Cryo-TEM and Cryo-FIB-SEM) for the Center for Electron Microscopy of Soft Materials.
Our team
Our group brings together mechanical engineers, physicists and biologists. Meet the team →
Interested in joining the team or collaborating? Please contact Leeya@technion.ac.il