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High-Resolution Probing of Cellular Force Transmission

<28>We modelled a bone cell as a biological "computer". Our cellular computer processes external cues (mechanical stress) to produce genetically programmed responses (changes to internal stiffness). Incorporating experimentally quantified parameters, we demonstrated for the first time the importance of including active stresses, leading to several independent studies on different cell types (e.g. DOI:10.1039/c0sm01117g), mechanically responsive nano-materials (DOI:10.1002/adma.201102617) and vesicles (DOI:10.1103/PhysRevE.84.021930). Longer-term indirect impact is expected by applying our approach to study cancerous tumour invasion, improve stem cell treatments, and biotechnological manipulations of cell fate, e.g. in tissue engineering. This work also cemented Head's collaboration with Mizuno (three follow-on publications).