We review continuum elastic models for the transmission of both external forces and internal
active cellular forces in biopolymer gels, and relate them to recent experiments. Rather than …

In cells, phase-separated liquid condensates interact mechanically with surrounding elastic
networks such as chromatin and cytoskeleton. By considering the trade-offs between elastic …

Variational methods have been widely used in soft matter physics for both static and
dynamic problems. These methods are mostly based on two variational principles: the …

Mechanical work serves as the foundation for dynamic cellular processes, ranging from cell
division to migration. A fundamental driver of cellular mechanical work is the actin …

Active solids consume energy to allow for actuation, shape change, and wave propagation
not possible in equilibrium. Whereas active interfaces have been realized across many …

The mechanics of disordered fibrous networks such as those that make up the extracellular
matrix are strongly dependent on the local connectivity or coordination number. For …

During various physiological processes, such as wound healing and cell migration, cells
continuously interact mechanically with a surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). Contractile …

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a fibrous network supporting biological cells and provides
them a medium for interaction. Cells modify the ECM by applying traction forces, and these …

In the extracellular matrix, eukaryotic cells exert forces that deform their surroundings. By
doing so, they can perform mechanosensation: Cells measure the mechanics of their …

Flexoelectric liquid crystalline membranes immersed in asymmetric viscoelastic media is a
material system model with physiological applications such as outer hair cells (OHCs) …