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 …

Cells exert, sense, and respond to physical forces through an astounding diversity of
mechanisms. Here we review recently developed tools to quantify the forces generated by …

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are major components of the carcinoma
microenvironment that promote tumor progression. However, the mechanisms by which …

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

Forces generated by cells are critical regulators of cell adhesion, signaling, and function,
and they are also essential drivers in the morphogenetic events of development. Over the …

During cell migration, the forces generated in the actin cytoskeleton are transmitted across
transmembrane receptors to the extracellular matrix or other cells through a series of …

Cell migration toward areas of higher extracellular matrix (ECM) rigidity via a process called"
durotaxis" is thought to contribute to development, immune response, and cancer …

To establish and maintain organ structure and function, tissues need to balance stem cell
proliferation and differentiation rates and coordinate cell fate with position. By quantifying …

Mechanosensing describes the ability of a cell to sense mechanical cues of its
microenvironment, including not only all components of force, stress, and strain but also …

We describe a technique for the quantitative measurement of cell-generated forces in highly
nonlinear three-dimensional biopolymer networks that mimic the physiological situation of …