Polymer networks are complex systems consisting of molecular components. Whereas the
properties of the individual components are typically well understood by most chemists …

This is an overview of theoretical approaches to semiflexible polymers and their networks.
Such semiflexible polymers have large bending rigidities that can compete with the entropic …

Bulk matrix stiffness has emerged as a key mechanical cue in stem cell differentiation. Here,
we show that the commitment and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells …

A variety of measurement artifacts can be blamed for misinterpretations of shear thinning,
shear thickening, and viscoelastic responses, when the material does not actually have …

Disordered fibrous networks are ubiquitous in nature as major structural components of
living cells and tissues. The mechanical stability of networks generally depends on the …

Abstract Three-dimensional (3D) matrix models using hydrogels are powerful tools to
understand and predict cell behavior. The interactions between the cell and its matrix …

During wound healing and angiogenesis, fibrin serves as a provisional extracellular matrix.
We use a model system of fibroblasts embedded in fibrin gels to study how cell-mediated …

The materials properties of biological tissues are unique. Nature is able to spatially and
temporally manipulate (mechanical) properties while maintaining responsiveness toward a …

Nature uses discrete molecular building blocks to form polymers that assemble into
multicomponent, multi-dynamic networks, inside (cytoskeleton) and outside (extracellular …

The mechanical properties of hydrogels are commonly modified by changing the
concentration of the molecular components. This approach, however, does not only change …