New Submission
ORAL
Abstract
Polymer physics for a cell
The mechanical properties of a cell are determined primarily by an interpenetrating network of biopolymers. This talk will reexamine the properties of vimentin intermediate filaments and suggest that their behavior is reminiscent of a self-assembled structure, a worm-like micelle, formed by surfactants. This perspective accounts for many properties that are observed for vimentin intermediate filament networks. Vimentin also forms phase-separated liquid droplets that are a precursor to formation of the filament network. These properties demonstrate how soft-matter physics can be used to describe the mechanical properties of a cell.
The mechanical properties of a cell are determined primarily by an interpenetrating network of biopolymers. This talk will reexamine the properties of vimentin intermediate filaments and suggest that their behavior is reminiscent of a self-assembled structure, a worm-like micelle, formed by surfactants. This perspective accounts for many properties that are observed for vimentin intermediate filament networks. Vimentin also forms phase-separated liquid droplets that are a precursor to formation of the filament network. These properties demonstrate how soft-matter physics can be used to describe the mechanical properties of a cell.
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Presenters
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David A Weitz
- Harvard University