Probing cell structure by controlling the mechanical environment with cell–substrate interactions

An improved texture correlation algorithm to measure substrate–cytoskeletal network strain transfer under large compressive strain

“…The use of live cells expressing fluorescent CSK proteins in the current study enabled us to investigate the transient response of the CSK network to the mechanical stimulus, and can be applied to study CSK network remodeling over longer time periods. For example, in some of the VICs tested, we observed that the actin stress fibers changed their alignment 20 mins after tension release (data not shown), similar to that reported in cells subjected to cyclic loading (Kaunas et al, 2005;Cheng and LeDuc, 2009). Correction for image distortion was shown to be necessary to track image texture in the very large strain domain (Z15%).…”

Localized bimodal response of neurite extensions and structural proteins in dorsal-root ganglion neurons with controlled polydimethylsiloxane substrate stiffness

“…We controlled the physical properties of the PDMS on the coverslips by altering the ratio between the base and the curing agent from 15:1 to 35:1 to 50:1 and compared our results to those found when using more conventional glass substrates. The relative stiffness of each substrate, 10:1 PDMS, 15:1 PDMS, 35:1 PDMS, 50:1 PDMS, and glass, are 1882, 173, 88, 18 kPa and 70 GPa, respectively (Lin et al, 2009;Cheng and LeDuc, 2008;Cheng et al, 2009). The PDMS and glass were both first coated with poly-L-lysine, based on conventional approaches in neurobiology (Lin et al, 2008).…”

Core‐Sheath Fibers for Regenerative Medicine

“…The mechanical properties of neo tissue determine the cell shape and ultimately the resulting cell fate process including migration, proliferation, differentiation, and gene expression [113]. Similarly in tissue engineering, different types of cells respond differently to the mechanical properties of the scaffold [114,115]. Therefore during design, scaffold mechanical properties should be taken into consideration in order to optimize the function and growth of a particular tissue.…”