Microtubules are hollow, cylindrical polymers of the protein α, β tubulin, that interact
mechanochemically with a variety of macromolecules. Due to their mechanically robust …

Microtubules are key players in several stages of the cell cycle and are also involved in the
transportation of cellular organelles. Microtubules are polymerized by α/β tubulin dimers with …

Virtually all cells use energy-driven, ion-specific membrane pumps to maintain large
transmembrane gradients of Na+, K+, Cl−, Mg++, and Ca++, but the corresponding …

Filaments of the cellular protein actin can form bundles, which can conduct ionic currents as
well as mechanical and voltage solitons. These inherent properties can be utilized to …

Both spontaneous emission and resonant energy transfer can be enhanced significantly
when the emitter is placed in the vicinity of metallic or crystal structures. This enhancement …

Centrosome, composed of two centrioles arranged in an orthogonal configuration, is an
indispensable cellular organelle for mitosis. 130 years after its discovery, the structural …

Helical structures like alpha helices, DNA, and microtubules have profound importance in
biology. It has been suggested that these periodic arrangements of constituent units could …

Physical phenomena such as total internal reflection, scattering and interference, or
plasmon resonances enable surface-sensitive detection methods. These methods have high …

Recent progress in nano optics, spurred by progress in nanofabrication, has allowed us to
overcome these challenges. We use surface plasmon polaritons to break the optical …