Nehama Cohen Rm. 76100 Rehovot Israel Current Research Interests 1. Physics of membranes.
Membranes participate actively in a host of processes essential for a biological cell.
For example, a cell may migrate, send out buds such as the dendrites of nerve cells, and ingest food particles. Mechanical properties such as intrinsic curvature, resistance to bending and tension are essential for these processes to ocurr. Biomembranes however are highly complex objects, consisting of a lipid bilayer studed with proteins, coupled to various polymeric networks. To understand their mechanical attributes, we are studying a a simple model system consisting of polymer molecules which anchor on artificial membranes. In spite of the simplicity of the system, we have observed rich behavior as exemplified by morphological changes such as pearling, budding and coiling, pointing to polymer-induced intrinsic curvature as the driving mechanism.