Biophysics articles within Communications Materials

Featured

• Article
  15 March 2024 | Open Access

  Photosynthetically-powered phototactic active nematic liquid crystal fluids and gels

  Cyanobacteria convert light and energy into physical movement. Here, the effect of light intensity gradients on the motion of dense bacterial filaments is investigated, revealing self-assembly of 2D and 3D active nematic states, and changes in orientational and velocity order parameters.

  • Andrii Repula
  • , Colin Gates
  •  & Ivan I. Smalyukh

• Article
  15 January 2024 | Open Access

  Myosin-independent stiffness sensing by fibroblasts is regulated by the viscoelasticity of flowing actin

  Extracellular matrix stiffness induces differential tension within integrinbased adhesions but it is not known if this is solely from myosin activity. Here, it is shown that 3T3 fibroblasts still transmit stiffness-dependent traction even with the absence of myosin contractility.

  • Nikhil Mittal
  • , Etienne B. Michels
  •  & Sangyoon J. Han

• Article
  14 August 2023 | Open Access

  A catch bond mechanism with looped adhesive tethers for self-strengthening materials

  Catch bonds exist in some protein-ligand complexes and are of interest for their increased lifetime under greater mechanical force. Here, a mathematical model for nanoparticles tethered with macromolecules shows catch-bond behavior, which may be useful for designing synthetic materials.

  • Kerim C. Dansuk
  • , Subhadeep Pal
  •  & Sinan Keten