Handed motor interactions in highly crosslinked networks

Abstract

Cells, the building blocks of life, move deform and perform mechanical work autonomously. Internally, these abilities are powered by self organized networks of chiral filaments and motor molecules, which are collectively called the cytoskeleton. We construct the theoretical framework that allows us to derive the large scale material properties of cytoskeletal networks from microscale interactions. In this talk, I will highlight how the handedness of motor-filament interactions shapes the emergent material properties. In particular, I will discuss the emergence of chiral contributions to the stress tensor and their macroscopic consequences.

Sebastian Fürthauer

Principal Investigator, WWTF VRG Young Investigator

Researching the Physics of life.