January 18, 2007 –
Two bioengineering graduate students and Professor Dan Fletcher have published new research on actin networks in the science journal Nature. Ovijit Chaudhuri and Sapun Parekh are lead authors on the paper “Reversible stress softening of actin networks”, published January 18, 2007. A network of actin filaments is what controls many of the mechanical properties of cells, governing its stiffness or softness. The team’s research shows that not only can actin networks stiffen in response to stress, but that this can then be followed by reversible stress softening at higher loads. The Fletcher Lab is advancing our understanding of how cells move and change their shape.
Read the full article in Nature .