The colloquium will be streamed online.
Prof. Sarah Köster, Uni Göttingen
Invited by Prof. Joachim Rädler
The tissues in our body exhibit astonishing mechanical and dynamic properties that are perfectly adapted to their function. For example, muscle cells actively contract, immune cells are highly motile, and cells in the skin or lungs form stable, highly interconnected structures. Notably, biological cells and tissues possess both elastic, solid-like properties and viscous, liquid-like properties. The viscoelastic properties of these tissues are largely determined by the cytoskeleton, which is a composite biopolymer network consisting of three filament systems: intermediate filaments, actin filaments, and microtubules, as well as cross-linkers and molecular motors. Of these cytoskeletal filaments, intermediate filaments are the most flexible and extensible, exhibiting intriguing nonlinear behavior. Using modern biophysical methods such as atomic force microscopy and optical tweezers, as well as modeling, we have investigated this class of biopolymer and found that intermediate filaments serve as 'safety belts' and 'shock absorbers' for the cell. This allows the cell to avoid damage from high-speed impact while maintaining flexibility during processes such as cell motility.