title: Measurement of mechanical forces generated by plant P-protein aggregates (forisomes).
abstract: Mechanical forces generated by forisomes were measured using a microfabricated polymer cantilever sensor. The forces were simultaneously measured in both the longitudinal and radial directions. Sensors were fabricated from polystyrene using the sacrificial layer micromolding process. The sensor response was simulated using finite element analysis. Forces in the longitudinal direction ranged from 84 to 136 nN and forces in the radial direction were 22-61 nN. This device offers a new approach to measuring small magnitude biological forces. In addition, the ability to accurately measure forces generated by forisomes is an important step toward their implementation as functional structures in microdevices.
authors.affiliation: Biological Materials and Interfaces, Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials, Walter-Hülse-Str. 1, Halle, Germany. stefan.schwan@iwmh.fhg.de
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwan
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ferrell
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hansford
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Spohn
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heilmann
mesh_terms: D004581:Electronics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D011137:Polystyrenes; D031307:Vicia faba
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D011137:Polystyrenes