Optical tweezers have become the method of choice in single-molecule manipulation
studies. In this Primer, we first review the physical principles of optical tweezers and the …

Sarcopenia is a loss of muscle mass and function in the elderly that reduces mobility,
diminishes quality of life, and can lead to fall-related injuries, which require costly …

The surfaces of many bacteria are decorated with long, exquisitely thin appendages called
type IV pili (T4P), dynamic filaments that are rapidly polymerized and depolymerized from a …

The cytoskeleton of animal cells is one of the most complicated and functionally versatile
structures, involved in processes such as endocytosis, cell division, intra-cellular transport …

The remarkable processes that characterize living organisms, such as motility, self-healing
and reproduction, are fuelled by a continuous injection of energy at the microscale. The field …

Physical forces and mechanical properties have critical roles in cellular function, physiology
and disease. Over the past decade, atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques have …

Animal cell shape is largely determined by the cortex, a thin actin network underlying the
plasma membrane in which myosin-driven stresses generate contractile tension. Tension …

Cells respond to biochemical and biomechanical stimuli through changes in their
proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, secretion, contraction, motility, and adhesion. To …

Myosin modulators are a novel class of pharmaceutical agents that are being developed to
treat patients with a range of cardiomyopathies. The therapeutic goal of these drugs is to …

Light scattering by small particles has a long and interesting history in physics. Nonetheless,
it continues to surprise with new insights and applications. This includes new discoveries …