Biophysics, medical physics and biomaterials applications

Biophysics and medical physics, in their most conventional definitions, are not my extensive core areas of research. Yet, I have a number of research projects that relate closely to topics in biophysics, medical physics or biomaterials applications. Often my research into softmatter systems is aimed at learning something about the corresponding or related biological systems, or conducted with an awareness of and a view to potential applications in biological organisms, pharmaceutical applications, systems biology or biomedical applications. Further, a fair bit of our work on structure metrics and structure analysis of disordered materials is well suited for the analysis of biological data, in particular structural such as from micrographs, confocal microscopy and tomography.

In fact, two of my best cited articles are motivated by a biophysical question (structure of collagen networks in extracellular matrix as host for cell migration) and to a bone scaffold design question (biomimetic bicontinuous designs for additively manufactured bone scaffolds):

• W. Mickel, S. Münster, L.M. Jawerth, D.A. Vader, D.A. Weitz, A.P. Sheppard, K. Mecke, B. Fabry and G.E. Schröder-Turk, Robust Pore Size Analysis of Filamentous Networks From 3D Confocal Microscopy, Biophysical Journal 95 (12), 6072-6080 (2008)
• S.C. Kapfer, S.T. Hyde, K. Mecke, C.H. Arns, and G.E. Schröder-Turk, “Minimal surface scaffold designs for tissue engineering”, Biomaterials 32(29), 6875-6882 (2011)

The following represent publications co-authored by me that relate to the broader fields of medical physics, biophysics or biomaterials research.

Mesh characteristics and mechanics of collagen and actin biopolymeric networks

• W. Mickel, S. Münster, L.M. Jawerth, D.A. Vader, D.A. Weitz, A.P. Sheppard, K. Mecke, B. Fabry and G.E. Schröder-Turk, Robust Pore Size Analysis of Filamentous Networks From 3D Confocal Microscopy, Biophysical Journal 95 (12), 6072-6080 (2008)
• S. Nachtrab, S.C. Kapfer, C.H. Arns, M. Madadi, K. Mecke and G.E. Schröder-Turk, “Morphology and Linear-Elastic Moduli of Random Network Solids”, Advanced Materials 23, 2633-2637 (2011)
• G.E. Schröder-Turk, W. Mickel, S.C. Kapfer, F.M. Schaller, B. Breidenbach, D. Hug, K. Mecke, “Minkowski tensors of anisotropic spatial structure”, New Journal of Physics 15, 083028 (2013), see particular Fig 12

Tools and concepts for bone structure analysis metrics, based on MIL tensors

• M.A. Klatt, G.E. Schröder-Turk and K. Mecke, “Mean-intercept anisotropy analysis of porous media. I. Analytic formulae for anisotropic Boolean models“, Medical Physics 44(7), 3650-3662 (2017)
• M.A. Klatt, G.E. Schröder-Turk and K. Mecke, “Mean-intercept anisotropy analysis of porous media. II. Conceptual shortcomings of the MIL tensor definition and Minkowski tensors as an alternative“, Medical Physics 44(7), 3663-3675 (2017)

Biomaterials designs for bone scaffold geometries

• S.C. Kapfer, S.T. Hyde, K. Mecke, C.H. Arns, and G.E. Schröder-Turk, “Minimal surface scaffold designs for tissue engineering”, Biomaterials 32(29), 6875-6882 (2011)
• S. Nachtrab, S. Kapfer, D. Rietzel, D. Drummer, M. Madadi, C.H. Arns, A.M. Kraynik, G.E. Schröder-Turk and K. Mecke, “Tuning elasticity of open-cell solid foams and bone scaffolds via randomized vertex connectivity”, Advanced Engineering Materials 14, 120-124 (2012)

Structure formation in butterfly wing-scale cells

• B.D. Wilts, P.L. Clode, N.H. Patel, G.E. Schröder-Turk, “Nature’s functional nanomaterials: Growth or self-assembly?“, MRS Bulletin 44(2) issue on ‘Bioinspired Far-From-Equilibrium Materials’, 106-112, February issue (2019)
• B.D. Wilts, B. Apeleo Zubiri, M.A. Klatt, B. Butz, M.G. Fischer, S.T. Kelly, E. Spiecker, U. Steiner, G.E. Schröder-Turk, “Butterfly gyroid nanostructures as a time-frozen glimpse of intracellular membrane development“, Sci. Adv. 3, e1603119 (2017)
  
• B. Winter, B. Butz, C. Dieker, G.E. Schröder-Turk, K. Mecke, E. Spieker, “Coexistence of both gyroid chiralities in individual butterfly wing scales of Callophrys rubi“, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(42), 12911-12916 (2015)
• G.E. Schröder-Turk, S. Wickham, H. Averdunk, F. Brink, J. Fitz-Gerald, L. Poladian, M.C. Large and S.T. Hyde, “The chiral structure of porous chitin within the wing-scales of Callophrys rubi”, J. Struct. Biol. 174, 290-295 (2011)