The phenomenon of biological adhesion is a necessary precursor to the formation of multi-cellular organisms. Without adhesion, life would not have evolved beyond the single-celled 'primordial Although micron sized objects do adhere to each due to colloidal interactions, these interactions are isotropic in nature and therefore insufficient for a living organism which needs to 'choose' its surroundings in order to survive. In addition to the non-specific colloidal interaction, living cells have various specific adhesion mechanisms which enable them to bond preferentially to a certain substrate or other cells. Studying the dynamics of this active process is one of the ultimate goals of our research and is relevant to the biomedical industry for applications such as implant technology, where cellular adhesion is essential to the success of the implant.
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