Elasticity of anisotropic macromolecular networks

In this project we will investigate the role of motor activity for mechanical and structural properties of cytoskeletal polymer networks. The goal is to develop a consistent simulation method that is able to reproduce various experimentally observed phenomena, like motor-induced stiffening or the breakdown of the fluctuation-dissipation relation. We will also be interested in the coupling of filament chirality, motor motion and network torques.