Semiflexible Polymers and Filaments: From Single Polymers to active biological structures

Biology and chemical synthesis provide various semiflexible polymers, which have a high bending rigidity. Important examples are filaments, which form the cytoskeleton of cells. Semiflexible polymers have unique material properties, which are relevant for biological structures. Theoretical models are presented for single polymer under external forces, filament bundles, and "active'' filaments, which are driven by motor proteins.