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Materials Science And Mechanosensitivity Of Living Matter, Alison E. Patteson, Merrill E. Asp, Paul A. Janmey
Materials Science And Mechanosensitivity Of Living Matter, Alison E. Patteson, Merrill E. Asp, Paul A. Janmey
Physics - All Scholarship
Living systems are composed of molecules that are synthesized by cells that use energy sources within their surroundings to create fascinating materials that have mechanical properties optimized for their biological function. Their functionality is a ubiquitous aspect of our lives. We use wood to construct furniture, bacterial colonies to modify the texture of dairy products and other foods, intestines as violin strings, bladders in bagpipes, and so on. The mechanical properties of these biological materials differ from those of other simpler synthetic elastomers, glasses, and crystals. Reproducing their mechanical properties synthetically or from first principles is still often unattainable. The …