smlevin
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Interesting that you have taken an interest in tensegrity doc. I can accept that mechanical stresses will change nuclear or cytoplasmic gene expression. However, what does the gene expression do? Is it to oppose external stresses or do the genes affect a whole subset pleiotropically? Sorry I was late with the response but I had to mark exam papers with a short turnover time.
Jimmy
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I am an enthusiast of Ingber's concept of cells as tensegrities, but on this point, I strongly disagree. Tensegrities do not squish, but symmetrically contract. To quote Fuller,“ … if concentrated load is applied from without, the whole system contracts symmetrically, i.e., all vertices move toward their common center at the same rate.” [synergetics 724.32-34]. This phenomenon is a sine qua non of tensegrity structures and is illustrated by the works of Rossiter, Burkhardt, Wolfram and so many others who know, understand and love tensegrity. The error occurs when the model used to understand tensegrity uses weak elastics as the tension elements. In true tensegrities, the tension elements get stiffer as the structure is loaded, but not so in the rubber band models. If you use nylon-fishing line, as does Hamilton, the response to loading more closely represents true tensegrities. I have put this, with appropriate illustrations in my blog at, http://tinyurl.com/b10-shear.
