Data-driven traction force microscopy in 3D collagen hydrogels
Quantitative measurements of cell-generated forces in fibrillar hydrogels have traditionally modeled the extracellular matrix as a continuum. Here we present a data-driven 3D traction force microscopy (DD-TFM) approach that reconstructs discrete collagen fiber networks from second-harmonic generation images and assigns fiber mechanics calibrated by shear rheology. In silico tests confirm the robustness of an inverse force-recovery method, and application to cells in collagen reveals pulling patterns and fiber-level stress distributions.
biophysics↗