Biofilms and droplet sizes (VIDEO)
Caption
: Researchers in the laboratories of Princeton University scientists Joshua Shaevitz, Howard Stone, and Sabine Petry have discovered that surface tension drives the liquid-like protein TPX2 to form globules that nucleate the formation of branching microtubules during cell division. The paper detailing these discoveries appeared in the Jan 28 issue of the journal Nature Physics. Here, a tabletop experiment shows how a uniform coating of glycerol on a wire transitions into beads. Withdrawing the wire quickly from the vial of glycerol (left) results in a thicker coating and bigger, more widely spaced beads, while withdrawing slowly (right) leads to a thinner coating and smaller, closer beads.
Credit
Video by the authors: Sagar U. Setru, Bernardo Gouveia, Raymundo Alfaro-Aco, Joshua W. Shaevitz, Howard A. Stone and Sabine Petry
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