Controlling Cell Migration with Physical Signals
Presented by Professor Wolfgang Losert
Professor of Physics, University of Maryland College Park
The guided migration of cells is a complex dynamical process involving carefully regulated polymerization and depolymerization of the elements of the cellular scaffolding, in particular actin. Recent work has shown that polymerizing and depolymerizing actin can be described as an excitable system which exhibits natural waves or oscillations on scales of hundreds of nm, and that wave-like dynamics can be seen in a wide range of natural contexts. I will show that physical signals nucleate and guide these the wave-like dynamics, and that such guided actin waves control cell migration for a broad range of cell types. This opens up novel approaches to control cell behavior.
Dr. Losert is Professor of Physics, Director of the Institute for Physical Science and Technology, and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS) at the University of Maryland. Before his appointment as Associate Dean in 2014, Dr. Losert chaired the educational affairs committee of the University Senate, and served as Graduate Program Director of the Biophysics Graduate Program. He also led the development of modern introductory physics laboratories for life scientists. Dr. Losert’s research efforts are at the convergence of physics and biology, as leader of a Data Science Core of an NIH BRAIN initiative grant, and of an AFOSR MURI team.