Regulation of Substrate Dissipation via Tunable Linear Elasticity Controls Cell Activity

Hybrid Microgels with Thermo-Tunable Elasticity for Controllable Cell Confinement.

Stimuli-responsive hydrogels are able to change their physical properties such as their elastic moduli in response to changes in their environment. If biocompatible polymers are used to prepare such materials and if living cells are encapsulated within these networks, their switchability allows the cell-matrix interactions to be investigated with unprecedented consistency. In this paper, thermo...

Substrate elasticity affects bovine satellite cell activation kinetics in vitro.

Satellite cells support efficient postnatal skeletal muscle hypertrophy through fusion into the adjacent muscle fiber. Nuclear contribution allows for maintenance of the fiber myonuclear domain and proficient transcription of myogenic genes. Niche growth factors affect satellite cell biology; however, the interplay between fiber elasticity and microenvironment proteins remains largely unknown. ...

BRG1 controls the activity of the retinoblastoma protein via regulation of p21CIP1/WAF1/SDI.

The ubiquitous mammalian chromatin-remodeling SWI/SNF-like BAF complexes play critical roles in tumorigenesis. It was suggested that the direct interaction of BRG1 with the retinoblastoma protein pRB is required for regulation of cell cycle progression by pRB. We present evidence that the BRG1-containing complexes regulate the expression of the cdk inhibitor p21(CIP1/WAF1/SDI). Furthermore, we ...

A cohesive granular material with tunable elasticity

By mixing glass beads with a curable polymer we create a well-defined cohesive granular medium, held together by solidified, and hence elastic, capillary bridges. This material has a geometry similar to a wet packing of beads, but with an additional control over the elasticity of the bonds holding the particles together. We show that its mechanical response can be varied over several orders of ...

En224: Linear Elasticity