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The adhesion of biological membranes is mediated by the binding of membrane-anchored receptor and ligand proteins. Central questions are how the binding kinetics of these proteins is affected by the membranes and by the membrane anchoring…
When described by a low-dimensional reaction coordinate, the rates of protein folding are determined by a subtle interplay between free-energy barriers and friction. While it is commonplace to extract free-energy profiles from molecular…
Cells accomplish diverse functions using the same molecular building blocks, from setting up cytoplasmic flows to generating mechanical forces. In particular, transitions between these non-equilibrium states are triggered by regulating the…
The mechanical response of static, unconfined, overcompressed face centred cubic, granular arrays is studied using large-scale, discrete element method simulations. Specifically, the stress response due to the application of a localised…
Protein folding is analyzed using a replica variational formalism to investigate some free energy landscape characteristics relevant for dynamics. A random contact interaction model that satisfies the minimum frustration principle is used…
Biochemistry and mechanics are closely coupled in cell adhesion. At sites of cell-matrix adhesion, mechanical force triggers signaling through the Rho-pathway, which leads to structural reinforcement and increased contractility in the actin…
It is shown that a small subset of modes which are likely to be involved in protein functional motions of large amplitude can be determined by retaining the most robust normal modes obtained using different protein models. This result…
In conjunction with huge recent progress in camera and computer vision technology, camera-based sensors have increasingly shown considerable promise in relation to tactile sensing. In comparison to competing technologies (be they resistive,…
The magneto-optical effect breaks time-reversal symmetry, a unique property that makes it indispensable in nonreciprocal optics and topological photonics. Unfortunately, all natural materials have a rather weak magneto-optical response in…
Mycelium bound composites are promising materials for a diverse range of applications including wearables and building elements. Their functionality surpasses some of the capabilities of traditionally passive materials, such as synthetic…
Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) systems are successful in restoring motor function and supporting paralyzed users. Commercially available FES products are open loop, meaning that the system is unable to adapt to changing conditions…
Catch bonds are interactions whose lifetimes increase under mechanical load, a counterintuitive behaviour that underlies diverse biological processes. Translating this mechanism to synthetic materials offers the potential to create systems…
We consider the resonant optical force acting on a pair of transparent microspheres by the excitation of the Morphology Dependent Resonance (MDR). The bonding and anti-bonding modes of the MDR correspond to strong attractions and repulsions…
Prions are misfolded proteins that transmit their structural arrangement to neighboring proteins. In biological systems, prion dynamics can produce a variety of complex functional outcomes. Yet, an understanding of prionic causes has been…
While mechanobiology has demonstrated that precise control over mechanical properties at the whole-cell level is crucial for many biological functions, comparatively little attention has been paid to the intracellular mechanical properties.…
We report the first investigation of the photo-response of the conductivity of a new class of organic semiconductors based on functionalized pentacene. These materials form high quality single crystals that exhibit a thermally activated…
Inspired by active shape morphing in developing tissues and biomaterials, we investigate two generic mechanochemical models where the deformations of a thin elastic sheet are driven by, and in turn affect, the concentration gradients of a…
Standoff chemical sensing of chemicals and toxic compounds is very desirable for actively monitoring residential, commercial, and industrial spaces. Analytes such as toxic industrial compounds (TICs), chemical warfare agents (CWAs), and…
A large number of eukaryotic cells are able to directly detect external chemical gradients with great accuracy and the ultimate limit to their sensitivity has been a topic of debate for many years. Previous work has been done to understand…
Convergence extension, the simultaneous elongation of tissue along one axis while narrowing along a perpendicular axis, occurs during embryonic development. A fundamental process that contributes to shaping the organism, it happens in many…