We introduced a suite of mechanical microsystems with a relatively basic design yet complex motion. Precise control over geometric parameters facilitated detailed analysis of forces and fluid-structure interactions. We made two important discoveries. First, we showed that a single bubble can provide multiple-DOF motion along prescribed trajectories with high fidelity through applying frequency- and amplitude-modulated acoustic signals. Second, due to higher-order interactions, forces between oscillating bubbles emerge, and their amplitude and direction can be programmed by tuning the excitation frequency.

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We show that T-cell-mediated cancer-cell killing is hampered for cortically soft cancer cells, which have plasma membranes enriched in cholesterol, and that cancer-cell stiffening via cholesterol depletion augments T-cell cytotoxicity and enhances the efficacy of adoptive T-cell therapy against solid tumors in mice. We also show that the enhanced cytotoxicity against stiffened cancer cells is mediated by augmented T-cell forces arising from an increased accumulation of filamentous actin at the immunological synapse. For more...

We used novel microengineered devices for long-term two-photon recordings of tissues in the Drosophila thorax including sensory and motor circuits. Our toolkit consists of (i) a micromanipulator arm, (ii) a soft implant for displacing thoracic organs, (iii) a numbered, transparent window to seal the thoracic opening, and (iv) a compliant tethering stage to mount animals for two-photon imaging. Together, these tools expand the neural recording time window from only a few hours to more than one month. For more...

A signaling pathway called cGAS-STING detects the presence of intracellular DNA as a surrogate for both cellular damage and viral infection. Meanwhile, sensing of self-DNA must be suppressed to prevent the development of autoimmune responses. Guey et al. identify BAF as a protein that competes with the cGAS for binding to genomic self-DNA. When there is a breakdown in nuclear compartmentalization, cytosolic cGAS enzymatic activity is prevented because of BAF. For more...