Hydration solids.

ABSTRACT: Hygroscopic biological matter in plants, fungi and bacteria make up a large fraction of Earth's biomass¹. Although metabolically inert, these water-responsive materials exchange water with the environment and actuate movement^2-5 and have inspired technological uses^6,7. Despite the variety in chemical composition, hygroscopic biological materials across multiple kingdoms of life exhibit similar mechanical behaviours including changes in size and stiffness with relative humidity^8-13. Here we report atomic force microscopy measurements on the hygroscopic spores^14,15 of a common soil bacterium and develop a theory that captures the observed equilibrium, non-equilibrium and water-responsive mechanical behaviours, finding that these are cont

SUBMITTER: Harrellson SG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10530534 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature