New York University physicists have developed a method that models biological cell-to-cell adhesion that could also have industrial applications. This system, created in the laboratory of Jasna Brujic, an assistant professor in NYU’s Department of Physics and part of its Center for Soft Matter Research, is an oil-in-water solution whose surface properties reproduce those found on biological cells. Specifically, adhesion between compressed oil droplets mimics the mechanical properties of tissues and opens the path to numerous practical applications, ranging from biocompatible cosmetics to artificial tissue engineering.
