Unraveling the Mysteries of Microtubule Movers: Physicists Make Headway
In a breakthrough discovery, physicists have uncovered the mysteries behind the movement of microtubules in the cytoskeleton of living cells. Microtubules are tiny tubes that help give cells their structure and are important for cell division, transport of molecules, and other cellular processes. Until now, the mechanisms behind their movement were largely unknown.
The physicists, led by Professor Hiroaki Tanaka at the University of Tokyo, used a combination of theoretical and experimental methods to study the motion of microtubules. They found that the motion was driven by the combination of two forces: the surface tension of the membrane and the internal forces of the microtubules themselves. By understanding the underlying mechanisms of microtubule motion, the scientists are now able to control their movement, allowing them to modify cellular behavior in unprecedented ways.
source: Phys.org