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Rigidity and Mechanical Response in Biological Structures.

Kelly Aspinwall¹, Tyler Hain¹, M Lisa Manning¹

¹Physics Department and BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA;

Annual Review of Biophysics

|February 10, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Emergent rigidity in biological networks arises from component interactions, not individual parts. This review explores mechanisms driving these transitions, aiding researchers in understanding biomechanical systems and generating new hypotheses.

Keywords:

cytoskeletal networks fiber networks fluid–solid transitions jamming rigidity tissue mechanics

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Area of Science:

Biophysics
Mechanobiology
Materials Science

Background:

Rigidity is an emergent property in biological systems, crucial for form and function.
Floppy-rigid and fluid-solid transitions are observed across biological scales.

Purpose of the Study:

To review mechanisms driving emergent rigidity transitions in biomechanical networks.
To connect mathematical formalisms with experimental observations of rigidity.
To aid researchers in identifying rigidity mechanisms in their systems.

Main Methods:

Literature review of biomechanical networks.
Analysis of mathematical models for rigidity transitions.
Synthesis of experimental evidence for emergent rigidity.

Main Results:

Identified diverse mechanisms driving emergent rigidity.
Highlighted universal mechanical features across biological systems.
Provided frameworks for understanding rigidity in biological contexts.

Conclusions:

Emergent rigidity is a key principle in biological mechanics.
Understanding these transitions aids in hypothesis generation for biological phenomena.
Future research directions include tuning rigidity over developmental and evolutionary timescales.