Highlights

Filaments in the cytoplasm that constitute a three dimensional cytoskeleton are formed by polymerization of the protein actin, which is initiated at distinct sites near the cell membrane.   Negatively charged lipids in

Novel, cylindrical, ribbon-like membranes are formed when colloidal particles adsorb at the air-water interfaces of droplets confined between two glass plates (Fig. a). We have found that the ease with which such ribbon membranes bend depends on particle shape. Ellipsoidal particles on the interface locally deform the interface and thereby introduce strong capillary forces into the membrane that couple the particles into networks. The resultant membrane scaffolding can resist bending by as much as

  Metallic glasses (MGs) are an exciting class of materials due to a suite of attractive properties including high strength, large stretchability, high wear and corrosion resistance, and excellent magnetic properties. However, adoption of MG in many applications has been hindered by the fact that they are brittle: they can break apart very suddenly, especially when put under tension. Ductility – the ability to softly stretch without breaking – would be a better property to have.

In the past few years, the theory of topological band structures has been generalized beyond topological insulators to include topological semimetals, including Weyl semimetals, Dirac semimetals and other “symmetry protected” topological states.  HgTe is a semimetal in which the degeneracy of the conduction and valence band at the G point is protected by symmetry.  In their early work on topological insulators, Fu and Kane showed that straining HgTe opens a gap at G, resulting in a topological insulator. 

Diana E. Proffit1, Thomas Philippe1, Jonathan D. Emery1, Qing Ma2, D. Bruce Buchholz1, Peter W. Voorhees1, Michael J. Bedzyk1, Robert P.H. Chang1, Thomas O. Mason1 1Northwestern University Materials Research Science & Engineering Center2DND-CAT, Northwestern Synchrotron Research Center at Advanced Photon