Speaker
Description
Many types of cells are elongated, spindle-like objects and tend to align with their neighbors. This behavior resembles that of nematic liquid crystals, complex fluids with long-range orientational order. Cells also tend to form disordered regions similar to liquid crystal topological defects. There is increasing evidence that defects in living systems have a biological role, being related to morphogenesis and cell extrusion. In our lab, we aim to induce and control defects and their topological charge by growing cells on micro-patterned ridges. Our findings indicate that fibroblast cells accumulate near defects with +1 topological charge and deplete near defects with -1 topological charge. We try and explain this behavior in terms of collective motion, cell shape and division rate.
