Force generation and contraction
How myosin motors walking on actin filaments generate the contractile forces that drive both muscle and non-muscle cell function.
We build computational models of the cytoskeleton, cells, and tissues to understand the mechanics that shape how living systems move, grow, and hold together.
Dr. Taeyoon Kim, Principal Investigator · Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering · Purdue University
Living cells generate and respond to mechanical forces at every scale — from individual protein filaments to whole tissues. Our goal is to understand the mechanical properties of the cytoskeleton, cells, and tissues through computational models, and to connect the mechanics of subcellular structures to the physiological processes they drive.
How myosin motors walking on actin filaments generate the contractile forces that drive both muscle and non-muscle cell function.
Why actin networks behave as elastic solids in some conditions and viscous fluids in others.
How contractile forces generated inside a cell are transmitted to, and remodel, the extracellular matrix around it.
Modeling durotaxis, contact inhibition of locomotion, and contact guidance in mesenchymal cell migration.
The lab is part of the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue, and works closely with experimental collaborators including the Chaudhuri, Miyazaki, and Robin laboratories.