The mechanical stability and integrity of biological cells is provided
by the cytoskeleton, a semidilute meshwork of biopolymers. Recent
research has underscored its role as a dynamic, multifunctional muscle,
whose passive and active mechanical performance is highly heterogeneous
in space and time and intimately linked to many biological functions,
such that it may serve as a sensitive indicator for the health or
developmental state of the cell. In vitro reconstitution of `functional
modules' of the cytoskeleton is now seen as a way of balancing the
mutually conflicting demands for simplicity, which is required for
systematic and quantitative studies, and for a sufficient degree of
complexity that allows a faithful representation of biological
functions. This bottom-up strategy, aimed at unravelling biological
complexity from its physical basis, builds on the latest advances in
technology, experimental design and theoretical modelling, which are
reviewed in this progress report.
%0 Journal Article
%1 bau-kroy
%A Bausch, AR
%A Kroy, K
%C MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND
%D 2006
%I NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
%J NATURE PHYSICS
%K mechanics
%N 4
%P 231-238
%R 10.1038/nphys260
%T A bottom-up approach to cell mechanics
%V 2
%X The mechanical stability and integrity of biological cells is provided
by the cytoskeleton, a semidilute meshwork of biopolymers. Recent
research has underscored its role as a dynamic, multifunctional muscle,
whose passive and active mechanical performance is highly heterogeneous
in space and time and intimately linked to many biological functions,
such that it may serve as a sensitive indicator for the health or
developmental state of the cell. In vitro reconstitution of `functional
modules' of the cytoskeleton is now seen as a way of balancing the
mutually conflicting demands for simplicity, which is required for
systematic and quantitative studies, and for a sufficient degree of
complexity that allows a faithful representation of biological
functions. This bottom-up strategy, aimed at unravelling biological
complexity from its physical basis, builds on the latest advances in
technology, experimental design and theoretical modelling, which are
reviewed in this progress report.
@article{bau-kroy,
abstract = {{The mechanical stability and integrity of biological cells is provided
by the cytoskeleton, a semidilute meshwork of biopolymers. Recent
research has underscored its role as a dynamic, multifunctional muscle,
whose passive and active mechanical performance is highly heterogeneous
in space and time and intimately linked to many biological functions,
such that it may serve as a sensitive indicator for the health or
developmental state of the cell. In vitro reconstitution of `functional
modules' of the cytoskeleton is now seen as a way of balancing the
mutually conflicting demands for simplicity, which is required for
systematic and quantitative studies, and for a sufficient degree of
complexity that allows a faithful representation of biological
functions. This bottom-up strategy, aimed at unravelling biological
complexity from its physical basis, builds on the latest advances in
technology, experimental design and theoretical modelling, which are
reviewed in this progress report.}},
added-at = {2013-01-07T15:17:55.000+0100},
address = {{MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND}},
affiliation = {{Bausch, AR (Reprint Author), Tech Univ Munich, James Franck Str,E22, D-85748 Garching, Germany..
Tech Univ Munich, D-85748 Garching, Germany.
Univ Leipzig, Inst Theoret Phys, D-04109 Leipzig, Germany.
Hahn Meitner Inst Berlin GmbH, D-14109 Berlin, Germany.}},
author = {Bausch, AR and Kroy, K},
author-email = {{abausch@ph.tum.de
kroy@ltp.uni-lelpzig.de}},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2355954da5f440fb73f40e139331d2bee/jehiorns},
doc-delivery-number = {{035DE}},
doi = {{10.1038/nphys260}},
interhash = {065ba8c6e17c8fa1e655ef6c409514a3},
intrahash = {355954da5f440fb73f40e139331d2bee},
issn = {{1745-2473}},
journal = {{NATURE PHYSICS}},
journal-iso = {{Nat. Phys.}},
keywords = {mechanics},
keywords-plus = {{ACTIN NETWORKS; VISCOELASTIC MODULI; THERMAL FLUCTUATIONS; LOCAL
MEASUREMENTS; POLYMER NETWORKS; SOFT MATERIALS; ALPHA-ACTININ; IN-VITRO;
MICRORHEOLOGY; ELASTICITY}},
language = {{English}},
month = {{APR}},
number = {{4}},
number-of-cited-references = {{65}},
pages = {{231-238}},
publisher = {{NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP}},
research-areas = {{Physics}},
times-cited = {{147}},
timestamp = {2013-01-07T15:17:55.000+0100},
title = {{A bottom-up approach to cell mechanics}},
type = {{Article}},
unique-id = {{ISI:000236979500011}},
volume = {{2}},
web-of-science-categories = {{Physics, Multidisciplinary}},
year = {{2006}}
}