Researchers from TU Delft (in the group of Gijsje Koenderink, BN) and NWO institute AMOLF (Sander Tans group, also affiliated with TU Delft) discovered how certain molecular bonds make living cells both flexible, in order to move, as well as strong, in order to withstand forces. Paradoxically, it turns out that these force-sensitive catch bonds are weak and inactive most of the time, but travel to specific places where and when cells become damaged. This discovery is published today in Nature Materials.

Molecular catch bond proteins can be found in many different tissues, both within and between cells. These bonds fall apart regularly, as most biological bonds do, but they have a peculiar property: if you pull hard at a catch bond, it actually starts binding tighter. Researchers discovered that this ability strengthens the material in specific places where the bond experiences stress. The discovery is a breakthrough, 20 years after the first finding of such bonds. Also, this marks the first time that the researchers have witnessed catch bonds working together within biological materials.

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