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  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Understanding Actin Organization in Cell Structure through Lattice Based Monte Carlo Simulations

    Kathleen Puskar1, Leonard Apeltsin2, Shlomo Ta’asan3, Russell Schwartz2, Philip R. LeDuc4

    Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.1, No.2, pp. 123-132, 2004, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2004.001.123

    Abstract Understanding the connection between mechanics and cell structure requires the exploration of the key molecular constituents responsible for cell shape and motility. One of these molecular bridges is the cytoskeleton, which is involved with intracellular organization and mechanotransduction. In order to examine the structure in cells, we have developed a computational technique that is able to probe the self-assembly of actin filaments through a lattice based Monte Carlo method. We have modeled the polymerization of these filaments based upon the interactions of globular actin through a probabilistic model encompassing both inert and active proteins. The results show similar response to… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Encapsulation of Pt-labelled DNA Molecules inside Carbon Nanotubes

    Daxiang Cui1, Cengiz S. Ozkan2, Sathyajith Ravindran3, Yong Kong1, Huajian Gao1

    Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.1, No.2, pp. 113-122, 2004, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2004.001.113

    Abstract Experiments on encapsulating Pt--labelled DNA molecules inside multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were performed under temperature and pressure conditions of 400K and 3 Bar. The DNA-CNT hybrids were purified via agarose gel electrophoresis and analyzed via high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The results showed that the Pt-labelled DNA molecules attached to the outside walls of CNTs could be removed by electrophoresis. The HR-TEM and EDX results demonstrated that 2-3% of the Pt-labelled DNA molecules were successfully encapsulated inside the MWCNTs. The experimental study complements our previous molecular dynamics simulations on encapsulation of single stranded… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Forced Dissociation of the Strand Dimer Interface between C-Cadherin Ectodomains

    M.V. Bayas1,1, K.Schulten2,2, D. Leckb,3,3

    Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.1, No.2, pp. 101-112, 2004, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2004.001.101

    Abstract The force-induced dissociation of the strand dimer interface in C-cadherin has been studied using steered molecular dynamics simulations. The dissociation occurred, without domain unraveling, after the extraction of the conserved trypthophans (Trp2) from their respective hydrophobic pockets. The simulations revealed two stable positions for the Trp2 side chain inside the pocket. The most internal stable position involved a hydrogen bond between the ring Ne of Trp2 and the backbone carbonyl of Glu90. In the second stable position, the aromatic ring is located at the pocket entrance. After extracting the two tryptophans from their pockets, the complex exists in an intermediate… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Fixed Electrical Charges and Mobile Ions Affect the Measurable Mechano-Electrochemical Properties of Charged-Hydrated Biological Tissues: The Articular Cartilage Paradigm

    Leo Q. Wan1,1, Chester Miller1,1, X. Edward Guo2,2, Van C. Mow1,1,3,3

    Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.1, No.1, pp. 81-100, 2004, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2004.001.081

    Abstract The triphasic constitutive law [Lai, Hou and Mow (1991)] has been shown in some special 1D cases to successfully model the deformational and transport behaviors of charged-hydrated, porous-permeable, soft biological tissues, as typified by articular cartilage. Due to nonlinearities and other mathematical complexities of these equations, few problems for the deformation of such materials have ever been solved analytically. Using a perturbation procedure, we have linearized the triphasic equations with respect to a small imposed axial compressive strain, and obtained an equilibrium solution, as well as a short-time boundary layer solution for the mechano- electrochemical (MEC) fields for such a… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    System Optimization for the Development of Ultrasensitive Electronic Biosensors Using Carbon Nanotube Nanoelectrode Arrays

    Jessica E. Koehne, Jun Li1, Alan M. Cassell, Hua Chen, Qi Ye, Jie Han, M. Meyyappan

    Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.1, No.1, pp. 69-80, 2004, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2004.001.069

    Abstract Vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been reported in fabricating nanoelectrode arrays. Further studies on optimizing this system for the development of ultrasensitive DNA sensors are reported here. The mechanical stability of the as-grown MWCNT array can be improved by polymer coating or SiO2 encapsulation. The latter method provides excellent electronic and ionic insulation to the sidewall of MWCNTs and the underlying metal layer, which is investigated with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The insulation ensures well-defined nanoelectrode behavior. A method is developed for selectively functionalizing biomolecules at the open end of MWCNTs while keeping the SiO2 surface passivated, using the… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    The Mechanochemical Basis of Cell and Tissue Regulation

    D.E. Ingber1

    Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.1, No.1, pp. 53-68, 2004, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2004.001.053

    Abstract This article is a summary of a lecture presented at a symposium on "Mechanics and Chemistry of Biosystems'' in honor of Professor Y.C. Fung that convened at the University of California, Irvine in February 2004. The article reviews work from our laboratory that focuses on the mechanism by which mechanical and chemical signals interplay to control how individual cells decide whether to grow, differentiate, move, or die, and thereby promote pattern formation during tissue morphogenesis. Pursuit of this challenge has required development and application of new microtechnologies, theoretical formulations, computational models and bioinformatics tools. These approaches have been used to… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Flaw tolerant bulk and surface nanostructures of biological systems

    Huajian Gao1,1, Baohua Ji1,1, Markus J. Buehler1,1, Haimin Yao1,1

    Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.1, No.1, pp. 37-52, 2004, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2004.001.037

    Abstract Bone-like biological materials have achieved superior mechanical properties through hierarchical composite structures of mineral and protein. Gecko and many insects have evolved hierarchical surface structures to achieve extraordinary adhesion capabilities. We show that the nanometer scale plays a key role in allowing these biological systems to achieve their superior properties. We suggest that the principle of flaw tolerance may have had an overarching influence on the evolution of the bulk nanostructure of bone-like materials and the surface nanostructure of gecko-like animal species. We demonstrate that the nanoscale sizes allow the mineral nanoparticles in bone to achieve optimum fracture strength and… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Engineering Nanostructured Probes for Sensitive Intracellular Gene Detection

    Gang Bao1, Andrew Tsourkas2, Philip J. Santangelo2

    Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.1, No.1, pp. 23-36, 2004, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2004.001.023

    Abstract The ability to detect, localize, quantify and monitor the expression of specific genes in living cells in real-time will offer unprecedented opportunities for advancement in molecular biology, disease pathophysiology, drug discovery, and medical diagnostics. However, current methods for quantifying gene expression employ either selective amplification (as in PCR) or saturation binding followed by removal of the excess probes (as in microarrays and in situ hybridization) to achieve specificity. Neither approach is applicable when detecting gene transcripts within living cells. Here we review the recent development in engineering nanostructured molecular probes for gene detection in vivo, describe probe design approaches and… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Y.C. "Bert'' Fung: The Father of Modern Biomechanics

    Ghassan S. Kassab1

    Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.1, No.1, pp. 5-22, 2004, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2004.001.005

    Abstract This article has no abstract. More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Yuan-Cheng Fung : A Scientific Giant and a Kind Man

    Pin Tong1

    Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.1, No.1, pp. 1-4, 2004, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2004.001.001

    Abstract This article has no abstract. More >

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