Cell mechanics

Cell mechanics is a sub-field of biophysics that focuses on the mechanical properties and behavior of living cells and how it relates to cell function. It encompasses aspects of cell biophysics, biomechanics, soft matter physics and rheology, mechanobiology and cell biology. Researchers who study cell mechanics are interested in the mechanics and dynamics of the assemblies and structures that make up the cell including membranes, cytoskeleton, organelles, and cytoplasm, and how they interact to give rise to the emergent properties of the cell as a whole.
A particular focus of many cell mechanical studies has been the cytoskeleton, which (in animal cells) can be thought to consist of:
1) actomyosin assemblies (F-actin, myosin motors, and associated binding, nucleating, capping, stabilizing, and crosslinking proteins),
2) microtubules and their associated motor proteins (kinesins and dyneins),
3) intermediate filaments,
4) other assemblies such as spectrins and septins.
The active and dynamic nature of cellular assemblies makes them particularly interesting materials to investigate. The active non-equilibrium and non-linear rheological properties of cellular assemblies have been keen point of research in recent times. Another point of interest has been how cell cycle-related changes in cytoskeletal activity affect global cell properties, such as intracellular pressure increase during mitotic cell rounding.

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