Emerging optical imaging of three-dimensional cellular-scale mechanics in mechanobiology

Mechanobiology is unveiling the pivotal role that cellular mechanics plays in cell fate determination and the regulation of various cell functions, including in development, homeostasis, and disease. These discoveries are now being integrated into the unified multiscale models of many biological systems. It has long been recognized that, to support these endeavors, we must quantify mechanics in situ and on the cellular scale in living three-dimensional biological systems. However, such capabilities have only recently become available by means of optical imaging. This perspective outlines the challenges and opportunities in measuring mechanical properties with optics, including Brillouin microscopy, optical coherence elastography, and other emerging optical methods. These technologies are now primed to provide valuable quantitative insights, and key demonstrations in cell mechanobiology are emerging. Continued focus on further developments, impactful demonstrations, and rapid commercialization will establish these methods as powerful next-generation platforms for discovery.