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Time of India
4 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
The secret language of touch: Cells align and communicate through mechanical sensing and memory
MUMBAI: We often imagine cells as tiny chemists—receiving signals, processing instructions, and producing proteins in a flurry of biochemical activity. But what if they were also quiet engineers, silently listening to the architecture around them, tuning in to tensions that stretch and pull, feeling their way into place? A new study from researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay suggests exactly that: that cells don't just see or hear—they feel. And more remarkably, they remember. In a soft, silent laboratory, without a single shout of a chemical signal, muscle precursor cells learned to align themselves by sensing an invisible tension underfoot. The finding, published in *Cell Reports Physical Science*, offers a rare and elegant peek into the physical intelligence of life—and was just chosen as among the journal's best work in biophysics. It's easy to overlook the poetry in biology. But consider this: the cells in our muscles lie in perfect parallel, allowing them to pull in unison. The ones in our eyes form radial fans that help focus light to a point. Blood vessels curve gracefully toward wounds. Such arrangements are not decorative. They're essential. Form begets function. But how do cells know where to go? Who—or what—is guiding them? 'We've long assumed it's all chemistry,' says Prof. Abhijit Majumder, who led the study. 'That cells respond to growth factors, to gradients, to instructions carried by molecules.' That assumption held for decades. But in recent years, a quiet revolution has been unfolding in the study of mechanobiology—where mechanical forces, not chemicals, do the talking. Cells, it turns out, are tactile creatures. They feel how soft or stiff their surroundings are. They respond to being stretched, compressed, or nudged. They even react to textures far smaller than themselves. 'In real tissue, there's always some mechanical inhomogeneity,' explains Prof. Majumder. 'Whether it's a growing organ, a wound in repair, or even a tumour—there's tension. The question is, how do cells respond?' To explore this, the IIT Bombay team created a miniature world—a soft gel made of polyacrylamide, inside which they embedded a single glass bead. Imagine a soft mattress with a marble tucked inside. Now place it in water. As the gel swells, the bead resists. The area around it stretches unevenly, creating a gentle strain gradient—an invisible field of mechanical instruction. Next, they introduced muscle precursor cells—myoblasts—on top of this landscape. What followed was extraordinary. The cells nearest the bead began to align themselves, fanning out radially like sunrays. Not due to gravity or light or nutrients. Simply because they felt the difference in stretch beneath them. 'It was as though they sensed the lay of the land—the pre-strain in the gel,' says Dr. Akshada Khadpekar, the lead author. 'And not only did they align, they passed the message outward, organising others farther away.' The effect stretched across a span of 1–2 millimetres—roughly 20 to 40 cell lengths. On gels without a bead, the alignment barely extended 0.35 mm. To ensure this wasn't due to chemical cues, the researchers ran control experiments. They swapped out extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, adjusted the stiffness of the gels, and played with surface coatings. Only the softness of the substrate—and the presence of that gentle pre-strain—made the difference. 'This ruled out biochemical factors. The alignment was purely mechanical,' confirms Dr. Khadpekar. But how do you prove what you can't see? That's where collaboration came in. Prof Parag Tandaiya from IIT Bombay's Mechanical Engineering department joined the team to run finite element simulations—computer models that mapped the stress and strain in the gel. The simulations confirmed what the eye could not: the invisible forces the cells were feeling closely matched the patterns of alignment observed. 'This was key,' says Prof. Tandaiya. 'There's no experimental way to directly measure these subtle strain fields. Simulations let us visualise what the cells themselves are sensing.' To test how universal this effect was, the team didn't stop at one bead. They tried hollow capillaries, bead arrays, and combinations of both. The cells aligned not just in straight lines but in arcs, spirals, and waves—shaped by invisible gradients of tension. Different cell types behaved differently depending on how stretched out they were, or how forcefully they tugged on the surface. 'What's truly fascinating,' says Prof Majumder, 'is that cells don't just respond to strain. They respond to strain direction. They align themselves along the path of greatest stretch, like grass flattening in the wind.' The researchers then used this insight to build a predictive model. By factoring in a cell's shape, contractile strength, and the stiffness of the substrate, they could estimate how it would align. A mechanical fortune-teller of sorts—reading the future from the pull of a gel. But the implications are far from academic. In tissue engineering, such findings could allow scientists to shape cell patterns not with chemical scaffolds but with simple, passive designs. In cancer biology, understanding how tumours distort their mechanical environment could help explain how they influence nearby cells. And in regenerative medicine, tweaking the mechanical properties of ageing or injured tissue might help restore normal function. The beauty of this study lies in its simplicity. No expensive chemicals. No fancy equipment. Just a soft gel, a glass bead, and a curious question: What if cells could feel? They can. And they do. 'It's a very intelligent response,' says Prof. Tandaiya. 'One that we're only beginning to understand.' For now, though, the findings sit like ripples on the surface of science—quiet but far-reaching. Because every now and then, in the stillness of a lab, we discover that life has its own sense of touch. And sometimes, that's enough to show it the way.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Fungi and bacteria could be used to build homes one day, new study suggests
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Living in a house made of fungi and bacteria may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but researchers are now one step closer to eventually making it a reality, according to a new study. A research team in Montana grew dense, spongy tangles of mycelium — the rootlike structure that connects fungal networks underground — as a framework to create a living, self-repairing building material. The ability to create durable, load-bearing structures with living material is still many years away. However, this discovery is an important step toward creating a sustainable alternative to cement, the binding agent in concrete, said Chelsea Heveran, senior author of the study published April 16 in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science. More than 4 billion metric tons (4.4 billion tons) of cement is manufactured annually, contributing about 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to London-based think tank Chatham House. This means if cement production were a country, it would rank third after China and the United States based on 2023 emissions. 'We asked 'what if we could do it a different way using biology?' That's the vision,' said Heveran, who is an assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Montana State University Bozeman. The study authors introduced bacteria capable of producing calcium carbonate — the same chemical compound found in coral, eggshells and limestone — to the fungal mycelium, which served as scaffolds. Through a process called biomineralization, the calcium carbonate hardened the gooey, flexible mycelium into a stiff, bonelike structure. 'We're not the first ones to biomineralize something and call it a building material. … But if you want to keep (the bacteria) alive for longer so that you can do more with them, there's been some challenges involved to extend that viability,' Heveran said. 'So that's why we gave them fungal mycelium scaffolds, because the mycelium is really robust, and in nature, sometimes it biomineralizes (itself).' The team experimented with letting the fungus, called Neurospora crassa, biomineralize on its own but found that killing it and then adding the microbes helped achieve a stiffer material in less time. The bacteria, called Sporosarcina pasteurii, created crystalline nets of calcium carbonate around the fungal threads after metabolizing urea, which is like food for the bacteria. While other biomineralized building materials are only considered 'living' for a few days, Heveran said her team was able to keep the microbes active for at least four weeks, and eventually, that period could extend to months or even years. 'We're really excited in our next work to ask the questions 'could we seal a crack in the material?' Or 'could we sense something using these bacteria?' Like, imagine you had poor air quality in your building, and these bricks were your walls. Could they light up to (indicate) that?' Heveran said. 'Before, we couldn't do any of that because the microbes weren't alive enough, but they're very alive now.' Before being used for homes, fences or other construction, a lot more testing is needed to find a living building material to replace cement, said Avinash Manjula-Basavanna, a bioengineer who was not involved in the study. 'These kinds of experiments are done on a small scale. … They are not necessarily a reflection of the bulk material properties,' said Manjula-Basavanna, who is senior research scientist at Northeastern University in Boston. 'It's not stiffness that people are interested in when it comes to construction materials. It is the strength, (the) load-bearing ability.' While the strength and durability of living building materials is not on par with concrete yet, Heveran said mycelium is still a promising base. Thanks to its flexibility, the sticky substance could be shaped to include vascular-like channels within beams, bricks or walls. Much like blood vessels in the human body, cells within living building materials need structures capable of delivering nutrients to stay alive. However, adding these structures into the design of building materials could make them weaker, presenting a challenge for future studies, Manjula-Basavanna said. 'I think in the future, they could be useful for single-story buildings, these smaller structures — it's very much feasible,' Manjula-Basavanna said. 'It might be five to 10 years down the line.' Fungus is also a potential respiratory hazard, and though killing the mycelium reduces its allergen-producing ability, more research should be done before it's considered safe to inhabit, Heveran said. 'It's very clear to conceptualize a test framework by which the materials need to be strong enough, because those kinds of standards exist already,' Heveran said. 'But we don't have regulatory standards for my bricks that have cells in them.' It's safe to say you won't see fungus bricks sold at your local home improvement store any time soon. Heveran's team is just one of many in the country exploring the possibilities of mycelium, which has been used for other, softer items such as packaging and insulation. Several government agencies are already interested in the possible use cases of living building materials, Heveran said. 'There's a lot of 'ifs' that would have to come into play for the average household to have a cost benefit from this,' Heveran said. 'But for society, it might be a lot cheaper when you're trying to build infrastructure for a community that really needs it, or if you're trying to build infrastructure in space, this might be a lot easier than carting cement and concrete up there,' she explained. 'The possibilities are really exciting to me.'
CNN
30-04-2025
- Science
- CNN
Fungi and bacteria could be used to build homes one day, new study suggests
Living in a house made of fungi and bacteria may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but researchers are now one step closer to eventually making it a reality, according to a new study. A research team in Montana grew dense, spongy tangles of mycelium — the rootlike structure that connects fungal networks underground — as a framework to create a living, self-repairing building material. The ability to create durable, load-bearing structures with living material is still many years away. However, this discovery is an important step toward creating a sustainable alternative to cement, the binding agent in concrete, said Chelsea Heveran, senior author of the study published April 16 in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science. More than 4 billion metric tons (4.4 billion tons) of cement is manufactured annually, contributing about 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to London-based think tank Chatham House. This means if cement production were a country, it would rank third after China and the United States based on 2023 emissions. 'We asked 'what if we could do it a different way using biology?' That's the vision,' said Heveran, who is an assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Montana State University Bozeman. The study authors introduced bacteria capable of producing calcium carbonate — the same chemical compound found in coral, eggshells and limestone — to the fungal mycelium, which served as scaffolds. Through a process called biomineralization, the calcium carbonate hardened the gooey, flexible mycelium into a stiff, bonelike structure. 'We're not the first ones to biomineralize something and call it a building material. … But if you want to keep (the bacteria) alive for longer so that you can do more with them, there's been some challenges involved to extend that viability,' Heveran said. 'So that's why we gave them fungal mycelium scaffolds, because the mycelium is really robust, and in nature, sometimes it biomineralizes (itself).' The team experimented with letting the fungus, called Neurospora crassa, biomineralize on its own but found that killing it and then adding the microbes helped achieve a stiffer material in less time. The bacteria, called Sporosarcina pasteurii, created crystalline nets of calcium carbonate around the fungal threads after metabolizing urea, which is like food for the bacteria. While other biomineralized building materials are only considered 'living' for a few days, Heveran said her team was able to keep the microbes active for at least four weeks, and eventually, that period could extend to months or even years. 'We're really excited in our next work to ask the questions 'could we seal a crack in the material?' Or 'could we sense something using these bacteria?' Like, imagine you had poor air quality in your building, and these bricks were your walls. Could they light up to (indicate) that?' Heveran said. 'Before, we couldn't do any of that because the microbes weren't alive enough, but they're very alive now.' Before being used for homes, fences or other construction, a lot more testing is needed to find a living building material to replace cement, said Avinash Manjula-Basavanna, a bioengineer who was not involved in the study. 'These kinds of experiments are done on a small scale. … They are not necessarily a reflection of the bulk material properties,' said Manjula-Basavanna, who is senior research scientist at Northeastern University in Boston. 'It's not stiffness that people are interested in when it comes to construction materials. It is the strength, (the) load-bearing ability.' While the strength and durability of living building materials is not on par with concrete yet, Heveran said mycelium is still a promising base. Thanks to its flexibility, the sticky substance could be shaped to include vascular-like channels within beams, bricks or walls. Much like blood vessels in the human body, cells within living building materials need structures capable of delivering nutrients to stay alive. However, adding these structures into the design of building materials could make them weaker, presenting a challenge for future studies, Manjula-Basavanna said. 'I think in the future, they could be useful for single-story buildings, these smaller structures — it's very much feasible,' Manjula-Basavanna said. 'It might be five to 10 years down the line.' Fungus is also a potential respiratory hazard, and though killing the mycelium reduces its allergen-producing ability, more research should be done before it's considered safe to inhabit, Heveran said. 'It's very clear to conceptualize a test framework by which the materials need to be strong enough, because those kinds of standards exist already,' Heveran said. 'But we don't have regulatory standards for my bricks that have cells in them.' It's safe to say you won't see fungus bricks sold at your local home improvement store any time soon. Heveran's team is just one of many in the country exploring the possibilities of mycelium, which has been used for other, softer items such as packaging and insulation. Several government agencies are already interested in the possible use cases of living building materials, Heveran said. 'There's a lot of 'ifs' that would have to come into play for the average household to have a cost benefit from this,' Heveran said. 'But for society, it might be a lot cheaper when you're trying to build infrastructure for a community that really needs it, or if you're trying to build infrastructure in space, this might be a lot easier than carting cement and concrete up there,' she explained. 'The possibilities are really exciting to me.'
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Scientists make startling discovery after dissecting Tesla and other EV batteries side-by-side: 'We were surprised'
Engineers have discovered some fascinating differences between the batteries that power the world's most popular electric vehicles. A groundbreaking study dissected batteries from Tesla and BYD to understand how they function. What researchers found: BYD batteries are more efficient. Lead study author and researcher Jonas Gorsch said that little in-depth data exists on EV batteries and their performance. So, the team compared Tesla and BYD batteries against numerous factors, including material costs, cell electrode size, and heating behaviors. The study was published in March in Cell Reports Physical Science. Researchers took apart EV batteries from both manufacturers. While the Tesla battery had a higher energy density — meaning it stores more energy in a lighter battery — the BYD battery was more volume-efficient. In other words, it can hold more energy in a smaller package. The BYD battery also had better thermal management. Tesla's battery needed to cool down about twice as much heat as the BYD battery. EV batteries can take longer to charge when they're working against extreme heat or cold. Another discovery was unexpected. "We were surprised to find no silicon content in the anodes of either cell, especially in Tesla's cell, as silicon is widely regarded in research as a key material for increasing energy density," said Gorsch. The researchers hope that their work will be helpful in future EV battery development. By breaking down fundamental differences between the two batteries, manufacturers can understand how various components can affect battery performance and efficiency. That's good news for the future of EVs, which lower fuel costs and reduce polluting gases. With less pollution in the air, human health could improve. Pollution can contribute to several conditions, from respiratory disease to breast cancer. It also causes overheating and damages plants, animals, and ecosystems. While Tesla has seen its sales and popularity dip recently, there are plenty of clear benefits of EVs. Many governments have enacted laws to get more of them on the road. For example, Canada wants all light-duty vehicles to produce zero tailpipe pollution by 2035. New York City is also requiring all rideshare services to have only EVs in operation by 2030. More research is necessary to understand EV battery lifespans and cell design choices. However, "the findings provide both research and industry with a benchmark for large-format cell designs," Gorsch explained. Do you trust Tesla to produce quality products? Absolutely I trust Tesla not Elon I'm not sure Not at all Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. If you're thinking of switching to an EV, you're not alone. Thanks to research like this, future EVs should only get more efficient, longer-lasting, and more affordable. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
