Cells actively sense and process mechanical information that is provided by the extracellular
environment to make decisions about growth, motility and differentiation. It is important to …

Polymers have occupied an indispensable role in almost all types of industries for their
immense physical and mechanical characteristics, mainly in food, packaging …

The extracellular matrix (ECM) establishes the basis for the cell's microenvironment
providing structural and mechanical support to cells and tissues, and regulating multiple cell …

Nanoparticles (NPs) are confronted with limited and disappointing delivery efficiency in
tumors clinically. The tumor extracellular matrix (ECM), whose physical traits have recently …

In native states, animal cells of many types are supported by a fibrous network that forms the
main structural component of the ECM. Mechanical interactions between cells and the 3D …

Diverse processes—eg bioremediation, biofertilization, and microbial drug delivery—rely on
bacterial migration in disordered, three-dimensional (3D) porous media. However, how pore …

Collagen is the main structural and load-bearing element of various connective tissues,
where it forms the extracellular matrix that supports cells. It has long been known that …

We describe a technique for the quantitative measurement of cell-generated forces in highly
nonlinear three-dimensional biopolymer networks that mimic the physiological situation of …

Cells can sense and respond to mechanical forces in fibrous extracellular matrices (ECMs)
over distances much greater than their size. This phenomenon, termed long-range force …

A sacrificial templating process using lithographically printed minimal surface structures
allows complex de novo geometries of delicate hydrogel materials. The hydrogel scaffolds …