Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Preparation of Liquid-exfoliated Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Nanosheets with Controlled Size and Thickness: A State of the Art Protocol
Published on: December 20, 2016
Protein Nanosheet Mechanics Controls Cell Adhesion and Expansion on Low-Viscosity Liquids
Dexu Kong, William Megone, Khai D Q Nguyen
1Department of Chemistry , Umeå University , SE-90187 Umeå , Sweden.
Abstract:
Adherent cell culture typically requires cell spreading at the surface of solid substrates to sustain the formation of stable focal adhesions and assembly of a contractile cytoskeleton. However, a few reports have demonstrated that cell culture is possible on liquid substrates such as silicone and fluorinated oils, even displaying very low viscosities (0.77 cSt). Such behavior is surprising as low viscosity liquids are thought to relax much too fast (
Related Concept Videos
Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
Viscosity
The SI unit of viscosity is...
Mechanical Protein Functions
Adhesion
Capillary action is a result of water’s adhesive tendencies. When a narrow...
Viscosity of Fluid
Cell Adhesion in Plants
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose,...

