Engineering cellular scaffolding to advance nanotechnologies

By channeling a living cell's machinery, Princeton researchers Meisam Zaferani and Ryungeun Song are developing a system to control the growth of microtubules. They call this robust nanotechnology platform, "cytoskeletal circuits", with potential applications in soft robotics and new medicines. The research resulted with a collaboration between Sabine Petry, an associate professor of molecular biology, and Howard Stone, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering who specializes in fluid mechanics.