Transmission electron microscopy of crosslinked fibrinogen oligomers. Each molecule in the chains has a characteristic tri-nodular shape. Scale bar represents 50 nm.
Selected Publications
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Reviews and Perspectives
Cell Biophysics, Biochemistry, and Biology
Materials Biology & Delivery
Mechanics of Single Molecules and Assemblies
Nano-Systems, Polymer Vesicles, & Soft Matter
Reviews and Perspectives
A.E.X. Brown and D.E. Discher. Conformational Changes in Cell and Matrix Physics. Current Biology 19:R781-R789 (2009) [Abstract] [pdf]
D.E. Discher, D.J. Mooney, P.W. Zandstra. Science 324:1673-1677 (2009) [Abstract] [pdf]
A. Zajac and D.E. Discher. Cell differentiation through tissue elasticity-coupled, myosin-driven remodeling. Current Opinion in Cell Biology 20:609-615 (2008) [Abstract] [pdf]
F. Rehfeldt and D.E. Discher. Biophysics: Cell dipoles feel their way.Nature Physics 3:592-593 (2007) [Abstract] [pdf]
D.E. Discher, P. Janmey, Y-L. Wang. Tissue cells feel and respond to the stiffness of their substrate. Science 310:1139-1143 (2005). [Abstract] [pdf]
D.E. Discher and A. Eisenberg. Polymer Vesicles. Science 297:967-973 (2002). Cover Article. [Abstract] [pdf]
Cell Biophysics, Biochemistry, and Biology
R.K. Tsai and D.E. Discher. Inhibition of "self" engulfment through deactivation of myosin-II at the phagocytic synapse between human cells. Journal of Cell Biology 180:989-1003 (2008). [Abstract] [pdf] **Cover Article**
Colin P. Johnson, Hsin-Yao Tang, Christine Carag, David W. Speicher, and Dennis E. Discher. Forced Unfolding of Proteins Within Cells. Science 317:663-666 (2008). [Abstract] [pdf]
J.D. Pajerowski, K.N. Dahl, F.L. Zhong, P.J. Sammak, and D.E. Discher. Physical plasticity of the nucleus in stem cell differentiation. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 104:15619-15624 (2007). [Abstract] [pdf]
C.P. Johnson, M. Gaetani, V. Ortiz, N. Bhasin, S. Harper, P.G. Gallagher, D.W. Speicher, and D.E. Discher. Blood 109:3538-3543 (2007). [Abstract] [pdf]
A. Engler, S. Sen, H.L. Sweeney, D.E. Discher. Matrix elasticity directs stem cell lineage specification. Cell 126:677-689 (2006). [Abstract] [pdf]
S. Subramanian, R. Parthasarthy, E. Boder, and D.E. Discher. Species- and cell-specific adhesive interactions between CD47 and human SIRPa. Blood 107:2548-2556 (2006). [Abstract] [pdf]
S. Sen, S. Subramanian, and D.E. Discher. Indentation and adhesive probing of a cell membrane with AFM: model and experiments. Biophysical Journal 89:3203-3213 (2005). [Abstract] [pdf]
K.N. Dahl, A. Engler, J.D. Pajerowski, and D.E. Discher. Power law rheology of isolated nuclei with deformation mapping of nuclear sub-structures. Biophysical Journal 89:2855-2864 (2005). [Abstract] [pdf]
M. Griffin, H. Feng, M. Tewari, P. Acosta, M. Kawana, H.L. Sweeney, and D.E. Discher. g-Sarcoglycan deficiency increases cell contractility, apoptosis, and MAPK pathway activation but does not affect adhesion. Journal of Cell Science 118:1405-1416 (2005). [Abstract] [pdf] ** Cover Article and accompanying Editor's Highlight. **
K.N. Dahl, S.M. Kahn, K.L. Wilson, and D.E. Discher. The nuclear envelope lamina network has elasticity and a compressibility limit suggestive of a molecular shock absorber. Journal of Cell Science 117:4779-4786 (2004). [Abstract] [pdf] ** With accompanying Editor's Highlight. And Highlight in Nature **
M. Griffin, S. Sen, H.L. Sweeney, and D.E. Discher. Adhesion-contractile balance in myocyte differentiation. Journal of Cell Science 117:5855-5863 (2004). [Abstract] [pdf] ** With accompanying Editor's Highlight **
A. Engler, L. Bacakova, C. Newman, A. Hategan, M. Griffin, and D.E. Discher. Substrate compliance versus ligand density in cell on gel responses. Biophysical Journal 86:617-628 (2004). [Abstract] [pdf]
A. Engler, M. Griffin, S. Sen, C. Bonnemann, H.L. Sweeney, and D.E. Discher. Myotubes Differentiate Optimally on Substrates with Tissue-like Stiffness: Pathological Implications of Stiff or Soft Microenvironments. Journal of Cell Biology 166:877-887 (2004). [Abstract] [pdf] ** With accompanying Editor's Highlight. And Highlight in Nature **
M. Griffin, A. Engler,T. Barber, K.E. Healy, H.L. Sweeney, and D.E. Discher. Patterning, Prestress, and Peeling dynamics of myocytes. Biophysical Journal 86:1209-1222 (2004). [Abstract] [pdf]
K.N. Dahl, R. Parthasarthy,C. Westhoff, and D.E. Discher. The role of human protein 4.2 in the attachment of CD47 to the red cell cytoskeleton. Blood 103:1131-1136 (2004). [Abstract] [pdf]
Materials Biology & Delivery
D.A. Christian, A. Tian, W.G. Ellenbroek, I. Leventhal, K. Rajagopal, P.A. Janmey, A.J. Liu, T. Baumgart, D.E. Discher. Spotted vesicles, striped micelles and Janus assemblies induced by ligand binding. Nature Materials 8:843-849 (2009). [Abstract] [pdf] **Cover Article** News and Views by D. Pochan
A. Engler, S. Sen, H.L. Sweeney, D.E. Discher. Matrix elasticity directs stem cell lineage specification. Cell 126:677-689 (2006). [Abstract] [pdf]
Yan Geng, Paul Dalhaimer, Shenshen Cai, Richard Tsai, Manorama Tewari, Tamara Minko, and Dennis E. Discher. Shape effects of filaments versus spherical particles in flow and drug delivery. Nature Nanotechnology 2:249-255 (2007). [Abstract] [pdf]
F. Ahmed, R. Pakunlu, G. Srinivas, A. Brannon, F.S. Bates, M.L. Klein, T. Minko, and D.E. Discher. Shrinkage of a rapidly growing tumor by drug-loaded Polymersomes: pH-Triggered release through copolymer degradation. ACS - Molecular Pharmaceutics 3:340-350 (2006). [Abstract] [pdf]
Y. Geng and D.E. Discher. Hydrolytic shortening of polycaprolactone-block-(polyethylene oxide) worm micelles. Journal of the American Chemical Society 127:12780-12781 (2005). [Abstract] [pdf]
Y. Kim, P. Dalhaimer, D. Christian, and D.E. Discher. Polymeric worm micelles as nano-carriers for drug delivery. Nanotechnology 16:S484-S491 (2005). [Abstract] [pdf]
P. Dalhaimer, A. Engler, R. Parthasarthy, and D.E. Discher. Targeted worm micelles. Biomacromolecules 5:1714-1719 (2004). [Abstract] [pdf]
F. Ahmed and D.E. Discher. Controlled release from polymersome vesicles blended with PEO-PLA or related hydrolysable copolymer. Journal of Controlled Release 96:37-53 (2004). [Abstract] [pdf] ** Best Paper Award 2004: Jorge Heller Award **
A. Engler, L. Bacakova, C. Newman, A.Popescu, M. Sheehan, and D.E. Discher. Substrate compliance versus ligand density in cell on gel responses. Biophysical Journal 86:617-628 (2004). [Abstract] [pdf]
A. Engler, L Richert, J. Wong, C. Picart, and D.E. Discher. Surface probe measurements of the elasticity of sectioned tissue and thin gels: correlations between substrate stiffness and cell adhesion. Surface Science 570:142-154 (2004). [Abstract] [pdf]
Biophysics of Single Molecules and Assemblies
A.E.X. Brown, R.I. Litvinov, D.E. Discher, P.K. Purohit, J.W. Weisel. Multiscale Mechanics of Fibrin Polymer: Gel Stretching with Protein Unfolding and Loss of Water. Science 325:741-744 (2009). [Abstract] [pdf]
A.E.X. Brown*, A. Hategan*, D. Safer, Y.E. Goldman, D.E. Discher. Cross-correlated TIRF/AFM reveals asymmetric distribution of Force-generating heads along Self-assembled, 'Synthetic' Myosin Filaments. Biophysical Journal 96:1952-1960 (2009). [arXiv] [Abstract] [pdf] *contributed equally
P. Dalhaimer, D.E. Discher, and T.C. Lubensky. Crosslinked actin networks show liquid crystal elastomer behaviour, including soft-mode elasticity. Nature Physics 96:354-360 (2007). [Abstract] [pdf]
A.E.X. Brown, R.I. Litvinov, D.E. Discher, J.W. Weisel. Forced Unfolding of Coiled-Coils in Fibrinogen by Single-Molecule AFM. Biophysical Journal - Letters 92:L39-L41 (2007). [Abstract] [pdf]
N. Bhasin, R. Law, G. Liao, D. Safer, J. Elmer, B.M. Discher, H.L. Sweeney, and D.E. Discher. Molecular extensibility of mini-dystrophins and a dystrophin rod construct. Journal of Molecular Biology 352:795-806 (2005). [Abstract] [pdf]
V. Ortiz, S. Nielsen, M.L. Klein, and D.E. Discher. Unfolding a linker between helical repeats. Journal of Molecular Biology 349:638-647 (2005). [Abstract] [pdf]
N. Bhasin, P. Carl, S. Harper, G. Feng, H. Lu, D.W. Speicher, and D.E. Discher. Chemistry on a single protein, VCAM-1, during forced unfolding. Journal of Biological Chemistry 279:45865-45874 (2004). [Abstract] [pdf]
R. Law, S. Harper, D.W.Speicher, and D.E. Discher. Influence of lateral association on forced unfolding of antiparallel spectrin heterodimers. Journal of Biological Chemistry 279:16410-16416 (2004). [Abstract] [pdf]
Nano-Systems, Polymer Vesicles, & Soft Matter
K. Vijayan, Y. Geng, and D.E. Discher. Electric field manipulation of charged copolymer worm micelles. Journal of Physical Chemistry B 110:3831-3834 (2006). [Abstract] [pdf]
G. Srinivas, D.E. Discher, and M.L. Klein. Key roles for chain flexibility in block copolymer membranes that contain pores or make tubes. Nano Letters 5:2343-2349 (2005). [Abstract] [pdf]
Y. Geng, F. Ahmed, N. Bhasin, and D.E. Discher. Visualizing worm micelle dynamics and phase transitions of a charged diblock copolymer in water. Journal of Physical Chemistry B 109:3772-3779 (2005). [Abstract] [pdf]
G. Srinivas, D.E. Discher, and M.L. Klein. Self assembly and properties of diblock copolymers via coarse grain molecular dynamics. Nature Materials 3:638-644 (2004). [Abstract] [pdf] [News and Views by Reinhard Lipowsky]