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

The formation of multicellular microbial communities, called biofilms, starts from the
adhesion of a few planktonic cells to the surface. The transition from a free-living planktonic …

Biofilms are widespread in nature and constitute an important strategy implemented by
microorganisms to survive in sometimes harsh environmental conditions. They can be …

Cell adhesion is essential in cell communication and regulation, and is of fundamental
importance in the development and maintenance of tissues. The mechanical interactions …

Simple Summary Bacterial biofilms cause infections that are often resistant to antibiotic
treatments. Research about the formation and elimination of biofilms cannot be undertaken …

The attachment of single-celled organisms, namely bacteria and fungi, to abiotic surfaces is
of great interest to both the scientific and medical communities. This is because the …

The constant interplay and information exchange between cells and the microenvironment
are essential to their survival and ability to execute biological functions. To date, a few …

Clumping factor A (ClfA), a cell-wall–anchored protein from Staphylococcus aureus, is a
virulence factor in various infections and facilitates the colonization of protein-coated …

Understanding the fundamental forces involved in the adhesion of microbial cells is
important not only in microbiology, to elucidate cellular functions (such as ligand-binding or …

A variety of bacterial pathogens use nanoscale protein fibers called type IV pili to mediate
cell adhesion, a primary step leading to infection. Currently, how these nanofibers respond …