Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments

Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments

Cytoskeletal filaments are polymeric forms of smaller protein subunits. However, individual cytoskeletal filaments may easily disassemble or associate with other similar filaments to form rigid structures. Microfilaments, made of actin monomers, rely on actin-binding proteins to form bundles and create networks of individual actin filaments. Microtubules rely on microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) to form sturdy cylindrical structures. However, the proteins involved in forming complex...

Plastic Deformations of Members with a Single Plane of Symmetry

Plastic Deformations of Members with a Single Plane of Symmetry

When a structural member undergoes plastic deformation due to bending, it is crucial to understand the position of the neutral axis and the stress distribution. This member, characterized by a single plane of symmetry, exhibits a uniform stress distribution, with negative stress above the neutral axis and positive stress below. Notably, the neutral axis does not align with the centroid of the cross-section. This misalignment is typical in cases where the cross-section is not rectangular or...

Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures

Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures

Complex microtubule structures are present in resting cells and in dividing cells. In resting cells, they are responsible for maintaining the cellular architecture, tracks for intracellular transport, positioning of organelles, assembly of cilia and flagella. They mediate the bipolar spindle assembly for chromosomal segregation and positioning of the cell division plate in dividing cells. The formation of microtubule complex structures depends on the cell type, cell stage, and cell function.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Spontaneous Chiral Symmetry Breaking in Polydisperse Achiral Near-Rigid Nematogens.

Physical review letters·2026

Same author

Elastic response of colloidal smectic liquid crystals: Insights from microscopic theory.

Physical review. E·2023

Same author

Multiphase Coexistence in Binary Hard Colloidal Mixtures: Predictions from a Simple Algebraic Theory.

The journal of physical chemistry letters·2022

Same author

Second-virial theory for shape-persistent living polymers templated by disks.

Physical review. E·2021

Same author

Nematoelasticity of hybrid molecular-colloidal liquid crystals.

Physical review. E·2021

Same author

An asymmetric flow-focusing droplet generator promotes rapid mixing of reagents.

Scientific reports·2021

Same journal

Tension on dsDNA bound to ssDNA-RecA filaments may play an important role in driving efficient and accurate homology recognition and strand exchange.

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016

Same journal

Publisher's Note: Amplitude-phase coupling drives chimera states in globally coupled laser networks [Phys. Rev. E 91, 040901(R) (2015)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016

Same journal

Erratum: Shapes of sedimenting soft elastic capsules in a viscous fluid [Phys. Rev. E 92, 033003 (2015)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016

Same journal

Erratum: Attenuation of excitation decay rate due to collective effect [Phys. Rev. E 90, 022142 (2014)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016

Same journal

Publisher's Note: Role of connectivity and fluctuations in the nucleation of calcium waves in cardiac cells [Phys. Rev. E 92, 052715 (2015)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016

Same journal

Publisher's Note: Lattice Boltzmann approach for complex nonequilibrium flows [Phys. Rev. E 92, 043308 (2015)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 2, 2026

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles

Published on: February 4, 2013

Controlling active self-assembly through broken particle-shape symmetry.

H H Wensink¹, V Kantsler², R E Goldstein²

¹Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris-Sud and CNRS, Bâtiment 510, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France.

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics

|March 4, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Altering particle shape in active matter systems, even slightly, significantly changes collective behaviors. This discovery offers new ways to control self-assembly for biological and material applications.

More Related Videos

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Published on: June 23, 2022

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water

Published on: August 2, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 2, 2026

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles

Published on: February 4, 2013

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Published on: June 23, 2022

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water

Published on: August 2, 2012

Area of Science:

Physics
Materials Science
Soft Matter Physics

Background:

Conventional passive materials' properties often derive from microscopic symmetries.
The influence of particle shape and self-propulsion on active matter's large-scale behavior remains poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how broken particle-shape symmetry affects the collective motion of active matter.
To identify generic effects of shape asymmetry on self-propelled particle systems.

Main Methods:

Large-scale computer simulations were employed.
Simulations included both homogeneous and heterogeneous self-propelled particle systems.
Focus was on systems with varying degrees of particle-shape symmetry.

Main Results:

Even minor breaks in fore-aft symmetry lead to distinct collective behaviors.
Broken symmetry can promote the separation of differently shaped active matter species.
Stable microrotors can spontaneously form due to shape asymmetry.

Conclusions:

Particle shape variation provides effective physical methods for controlling active matter self-assembly.
Findings have potential applications in biology and materials design.
Understanding shape-propulsion interplay is key for designing active materials.