Push and pull: Mechanical forces that guide cell motility, by Alison Patteson

202 Physics Bldg.

Mechanical effects can have as great an influence on cell structure and function as signaling by chemical stimuli. Many cell types alter their morphology or change their motility patterns when grown on substrates of different stiffness, confined by external boundaries, or reach critical densities that give rise to collective motion. I will discuss two general problems. The first regards how alterations of the mammalian cytoskeleton maximize motility in vivo without compromising cellular integrity. The second, how active swarms of bacteria utilize collective motion to capture new territory at the boundary of dead passive matter. Our results highlight the need for theoretical and experimental research to address emerging questions related to non-equilibrium living matter.

Alison Patteson, Syracuse University

Host: Prof. Lisa Manning / Contact: Yudaisy Salomón Sargentón, 315-443-5960