Publisher's Synopsis
This book describes a new family of bio-polymer
gels made from cytoskeletal proteins - actin, microtubule, and
tropomyosin. The importance of the gel
state with multi-scale hierarchical structure is emphasized to utilize emergent
functions in living organisms. Detailed protocol of gel preparation, specified
method of structure investigation, and dynamic studies of self-organization,
self-healing, synchronized oscillating, and autonomous motility functions are
introduced together with biomimetic
functions of synthetic hydrogels.