Geometry of Life

Life is more than just genes and cells; we sometimes forget about the important forces of nature that keep everything physically together. Tensegrity is a term used in biology to describe how tension and compression work together to hold everything in place. Because of tensegrity, living systems can bend and reshape without breaking when they encounter external forces, similar to when a strong building moves during an earthquake without collapsing. Researchers have developed a new model, which combines biological research simulation and computer animation to study the role of tensegrity in living systems. This animation shows tensegrity in action in an individual dynein molecule, found in a sperm cell’s tail. The model has allowed scientists to understand how tensegrity dictates life’s movements at different scales, all the way to the level of individual atoms.

Written by Gaëlle Coullon

Gaëlle Coullon

Writer

Gaëlle is a consultant and trainer in research communication and commercialisation. As an ex-neuroscientist, she is always looking for new ways to combine her love of writing with everything brain related.

• Image/video by Charles Reilly / Wyss Institute at Harvard University
• Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University
• Image/animation copyright held by the original authors
• Research published in ACS Nano, October 2017