Blood is an essential biological tissue that facilitates transport of oxygen and nutrients to metabolically active tissues while enabling the elimination of the waste products of cellular metabolism. Blood flow is intrinsically linked to the physical properties of the system, and is a highly sensitive homeostatic process. Any disturbances to the vascular network, propulsive organ, or cellular components of blood can alter the heterogeneity of cell distribution across capillary beds, propagating circulatory insufficiencies and development of disease.

Erythrocytes, constituting 36–50% of blood, are the most prominent hematological factor influencing hemorheology. The physical properties of erythrocytes have the ability to alter the local viscosity of blood and dictate circulation through the microvasculature. We now know that even though erythrocytes lack the complex machinery required for protein synthesis and repair, the cell is sensitive to stress-strain history and mechanotransducive pathways that facilitate numerous passive and active functions that aid circulation (e.g., erythrocytes synthesize their own nitric oxide and contribute it to the local vascular pool). 

The study of erythrocyte mechanobiology enables multi-scale inspection of cardiovascular pathophysiology. This Methods Collection aims to outline and standardize several key biophysical techniques regularly used for complex mechanobiological erythrocyte assessment (e.g., ektacytometry, micropipette aspiration, optical tweezers, patch clamping, microfluidic devices, microparticle detection, and biochemical assessment of mechanotransduction pathways). These methods collectively have wide application for physiological characterization of blood cells and disease.