Related papers: Cell Dissociation : A Cohesive Force of Hydrodynam…
Some microorganisms, such as spermatozoa, synchronize their flagella when swimming in close proximity. Using a simplified model (two infinite, parallel, two-dimensional waving sheets), we show that phase-locking arises from hydrodynamics…
When a rigid object approaches a soft material in a viscous fluid, hydrodynamic stresses arise in the lubricated contact region and deform the soft material. The elastic deformation modifies in turn the flow, hence generating a…
Cell sorting, whereby a heterogeneous cell mixture segregates and forms distinct homogeneous tissues, is one of the main collective cell behaviors at work during development. Although differences in interfacial energies are recognized to be…
The adsorption kinetics of the cationic surfactant dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide at the air-water interface has been studied by the maximum bubble pressure method at concentrations below the critical micellar concentration. At short…
I study the contact between a rigid solid with a randomly rough surface and an elastic block with a flat surface. I derive a relation between the (average) interfacial separation $u$ and the applied normal squeezing pressure $p$. I show…
The adhesion paradox refers to the observation that for most solid objects no adhesion can be detected when they are separated from a state of molecular contact. The adhesion paradox results from surface roughness, and we present…
A model system has been recently developed to study adhesion. It consists of a giant lipid bilayer vesicle with reconstituted lipo-polymers (repellers) as well as with lipo-ligands recognized by receptors covering the substrate. Adhesion in…
Density Functional Theory calculations are used to investigate the role of substrate-induced cooperative effects on the adsorption of water on a partially oxidized transition metal surface, O(2x2)/Ru(0001). Focussing particularly on the…
The complex interplay between the various attractive and repulsive forces that mediate between biological membranes governs an astounding array of biological functions: cell adhesion, membrane fusion, self-assembly, binding-unbinding…
The problem of surface effects at a fluid/force field boundary is investigated. A classical simple fluid with a locally introduced field simulating a solid is considered. For the case of a hard-core field, rigid, exponential, realistic, and…
While the small sticking coefficient for molecular hydrogen on the Si(001) surface apparently requires a large energy barrier of adsorption, no such barrier is observed in desorption experiments. We have calculated the potential-energy…
The motility of a cell can be triggered or inhibited not only by an applied force but also by a mechanically neutral force couple. This type of loading, represented by an applied stress and commonly interpreted as either squeezing or…
Biomolecular condensates form by phase separation of biological polymers and have important functions in the cell $-$ functions that are inherently connected to their physical properties. A remarkable aspect of such condensates is that…
Mechanical forces influence the dynamics of growing tissues. Computer simulations are employed to study the importance of interfacial effects in tissue competition. It was speculated that mechanical pressure determines the competition,…
Nanoscopic pores are used in various systems to attract nanoparticles. In general the behaviour is a result of two types of interactions: the material specific affinity and the solvent-mediated influence also called the depletion force. The…
Cold pools are fundamental ingredients of deep convection. They contribute to organizing the sub-cloud layer and are considered key elements in triggering convective cells. It was long known that this could happen mechanically, through…
When a fluid surface adheres to a substrate, the location of the contact line adjusts in order to minimize the overall energy. This adhesion balance implies boundary conditions which depend on the characteristic surface deformation…
The cohesion-tension theory expounds the crude sap ascent thanks to the negative pressure generated by evaporation of water from leaves. Nevertheless, trees pose multiple challenges and seem to live in unphysical conditions: the negative…
Cell-cell adhesion is one the most fundamental mechanisms regulating collective cell migration during tissue development, homeostasis and repair, allowing cell populations to self-organize and eventually form and maintain complex tissue…
Cells and other soft particles are often forced to flow in confined geometries in both laboratory and natural environments, where the elastic deformation induces an additional drag and pressure drop across the particle. In contrast with…