The nonlinear mechanical properties of cells in response to large forces as they arise under physiological conditions are not well understood. In this work, a magnetic tweezers setup optimized for large forces was developed. Forces of more than 100 nN can be applied, which has not been achieved previously with a setup of this type. The time- and force-dependent nonlinear material properties of various cell types were examined using this setup. The creep response always followed a power law, as in the linear case. With increasing force, stress stiffening and shear fluidization were observed....
The nonlinear mechanical properties of cells in response to large forces as they arise under physiological conditions are not well understood. In this...