Physical forces and mechanical properties have critical roles in cellular function, physiology
and disease. Over the past decade, atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques have …

Cancer has been characterized as a genetic disease, associated with mutations that cause
pathological alterations of the cell cycle, adhesion, or invasive motility. Recently, the …

Although protein-folding studies began several decades ago, it is only recently that the tools
to analyze protein folding at the single-molecule level have been developed. Advances in …

Chemical reactivity underlies our fundamental understanding of many physical and
biological phenomena. Chemical reactions are typically initiated by heat, electric current or …

With the recent revolution in Molecular Biology and the deciphering of the Human Genome,
understanding of the building blocks that comprise living systems has advanced rapidly. We …

Here we describe a protocol for using force-clamp spectroscopy to precisely quantify the
effect of force on biochemical reactions. A calibrated force is used to control the exposure of …

Tip-links in the inner ear convey force from sound and trigger mechanotransduction. Here,
we present evidence that tip-links (collectively as heterotetrameric complexes of cadherins) …

Gram-positive bacteria colonize mucosal tissues, withstanding large mechanical
perturbations such as coughing, which generate shear forces that exceed the ability of non …

The last 15 years have witnessed the development of tools that allow the observation and
manipulation of single molecules. The rapidly expanding application of these technologies …

In vivo, the primary molecular mechanotransductive events mechanically initiating cell
differentiation remain unknown. Here we find the molecular stretching of the highly …