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Abstract:
In vitro networks open up the possibility of investigating cytoskeletal components individually and in a very controlled environment. The process of assembly may lead to kinetically trapped networks [1], thus giving rise to internal stress. To investigate this phenomenon local probing of the stress field is necessary, which is achieved by means of diffraction limited UV-laser ablation: We produce small cuts inside in vitro networks of fluorescently labeled actin and its crosslinkers, or keratin. Analysis of simultaneously acquired confocal and bright field images of the system's reaction reveal relaxation properties and show anisotropies in the viscoelastic behavior of these networks.
