Rudolf Merkel,
Forschungszentrum Jülich and University of Bonn

Study of mechanical properties of living cells. Cellular force production and sensing. Cell adhesion and locomotion. Polymer physics on cytoskeletal filaments. Force induced dissociation of single bonds. Model membranes.


Selected Publications

R. Merkel, E. Sackmann, E. Evans (1989). Molecular friction and epitactic coupling between monolayers in supported bilayers. Journal de Physique 50, 1535-1555.

E. Evans, K. Ritchie, R. Merkel (1995). Sensitive force technique to probe molecular adhesion and structural linkages at biological interfaces. Biophysical Journal 68, 2580-2587.

R. Merkel, P. Nassoy, A. Leung, K. Ritchie, E. Evans (1999). Using dynamic force spectroscopy to explore energy landscapes of receptor-ligand bonds. Nature 397, 50-53.

C.E. Hamm, D.A. Simson, R. Merkel, V. Smetacek (1999). Colonies of Phaeocystis globosa are protected by a thin but tough skin. Marine Ecology Progress Series 187, 101-111.

D.A. Simson, M. Strigl, M. Hohenadl, R. Merkel (1999). Statistical breakage of single protein A - IgG bonds reveals crossover from spontaneous to force-induced bond dissociation. Physical Review Letters 83, 652-655.

M. Hohenadl, T. Storz, H. Kirpal, K. Kroy, R. Merkel (1999). Desmin filaments studied by quasi-elastic light scattering. Biophysical Journal 77, 2199-2209.

R. Merkel, R. Simson, D.A. Simson, M. Hohenadl, A. Boulbitch, E. Wallraff, E. Sackmann (2000). A micromechanic study of cell polarity and plasma membrane cell body coupling in Dictyostelium. Biophysical Journal 79, 707-719.

K. Prechtel, A.R. Bausch, V. Marchi-Artzner, M. Kantlehner, H. Kessler, R. Merkel (2002). Dynamic Force Spectroscopy to Probe Adhesion Strength of Living Cells. Physical Review Letters 89, 028101.

M. Nguyen-Duong, K.-W. Koch, R. Merkel (2003). Surface anchoring reduces the lifetime of specific bonds. Europhysics Letters 61, 845-851.

C.E. Hamm, R. Merkel, O. Springer, P. Jurkojc, C. Maier, K. Prechtel, V. Smetacek (2003). Architecture and material properties of diatom shells provide effective mechanical protection. Nature 421, 841-843.

F. Linke, R. Merkel (2005). Quantitative Ellipsometric Microscopy at the Glass-Water-Interface. New Journal of Physics 7, 128.

R. Merkel, N. Kirchgeßner, C. M. Cesa, B. Hoffmann (2007). Cell Force Microscopy on Elastic Layers of Finite Thickness. Biophysical Journal 93, 3314-3323.

C. Semmrich, T. Storz, J. Glaser, R. Merkel, A. R. Bausch, K. Kroy (2007). Glass transition and rheological redundancy in F-actin solutions. Proc. Natl. Acad. 104, 20199-20203.

A. Kajzar, C. M. Cesa, N. Kirchgeßner, B. Hoffmann, R. Merkel (2008). Toward Physiological Conditions for Cell Analyses: Forces of Heart Muscle Cells Suspended Between Elastic Micropillars. Biophysical Journal 93, 1854-1866.