Flow, fluctuate and freeze: Epithelial cell sheets as soft active matter
Schedule
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
03:30 UTC
Silke Henkes
Prof
University of Bristol
Host: NYU Soft Matter Seminar
Recording
Open recording
Event Information
Recording
Available
Host
NYU Soft Matter Seminar
Duration
70 minutes
Abstract
Epithelial cell sheets form a fundamental role in the developing embryo, and also in adult tissues including the gut and the cornea of the eye. Soft and active matter provides a theoretical and computational framework to understand the mechanics and dynamics of these tissues.I will start by introducing the simplest useful class of models, active brownian particles (ABPs), which incorporate uncoordinated active crawling over a substrate and mechanical interactions. Using this model, I will show how the extended ’swirly’ velocity fluctuations seen in sheets on a substrate can be understood using a simple model that couples linear elasticity with disordered activity. We are able to quantitatively match experiments using in-vitro corneal epithelial cells.Adding a different source of activity, cell division and apoptosis, to such a model leads to a novel 'self-melting' dense fluid state. Finally, I will discuss a direct application of this simple particle-based model to the steady-state spiral flow pattern on the mouse cornea.
Topics
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