Molecular mechanics of vimentin and lamin protein networks
Markus Buehler (MIT)
Mechanics and Physics of Biological Cells
Tue 4:20 - 5:40
Barus-Holley 141
The behavior of cells and tissues, ranging from the chemical composition of proteins, their sequence to complex biological function, poses critical challenges in the realm of multiscale mechanics. In this talk we review recent work on lamin and vimentin intermediate filament protein networks found within the cell. Lamin is a key protein that makes up a mesh-like structure surrounding the cell nucleus, associated with numerous physiological phenomena. Vimentin is a structural protein that is found in the cell's cytoskeleton, and has been shown to play an integral part in defining cell mechanics at large deformation. In this talk we explore how the molecular structure of protein building blocks, and their association over many length-scales, contributes to their physiological function and how they fail in disease states. We review complementary experimental analyses to validate the computational data, and a series of studies in which de novo proteins are synthesized and tested, to complement theoretical predictions. Part of the talk will be dedicated to quantitative measures of fracture properties of two- and three-dimensional meshworks of these protein filaments, addressing mutability, toughening, and the interplay of self-assembly and breakage.