Ideas for Vibrating Cell Culture Surfaces at High Frequency

Since the vocal folds vibrate at frequencies upwards of 100 Hz, and since we know that cell and tissue mechanical properties depend on the frequency at which stresses are applied and relaxed, it makes sense to ask just how those properties look at high frequencies (most systems test frequencies much closer to 1 Hz). XT in my lab has a system where he can stretch cells on a flexible membrane at low frequency, and we are trying to figure out a way to modify the apparatus to work at higher frequencies. I have an idea...and I've just put a bid on a set of tuning forks on eBay (don't anybody out-bid me in the next 19 hours!!). There are three tuning forks and a mallet in this set. Two of the tuning forks are attached to wood resonating boxes, and seem to be the same size, hence probably the same frequency (they are listed as "used" and the owner doesn't seem to have checked what the frequencies are). The third tuning fork *might* also be of the same frequency. Anyway..... I wonder if we can't rig up a system where we can hit one of the tuning forks and bring it close the other one to induce sympathetic vibrations. The sympathetic tuning fork could be somehow connected to the system where the cells are growing (maybe simply placing it on the microscope stage next to the system would work?) and cause the membrane to vibrate. Now, we might have to get the membrane's resonant frequency close to that of the tuning fork, but perhaps we could do that by stretching it a certain amount. At the moment I have *no* idea what the resting resonant frequency of the membrane is. I may have to get a different set of tuning forks with different frequencies. But anyway, I'll enjoy having this set (if nobody out-bids me!!) even if it doesn't work for this experiment. We'll see. First things first: Win the auction, *then* play around to see what we can make work. :-)