Tissues are dynamic in nature and their homeostasis largely depends on the input of mechanical stimuli. These stimuli are delivered by the extracellular matrix (ECM), measured and translated by cells into a biological output leading in turn to potential changes in ECM mechanics and hence in future mechanobiological outcomes. Such changes may be beneficial e.g. in adaption but can also lead to pathology. For this reason, characterization tissue and ECM at the level of a 3D collection of cells, single cells and below are important to uncover ECM-related changes accompanying homeostasis and pathogenesis and to find targets for influencing mechanobiological outcomes. This talk will focus on experimental characterization and results obtained from 3D microtissue models and their constituents and discuss the need for coarse grain models in this area.