Effect of Microscopic Cellular Properties on Macroscopic Mechanical Behaviour

微观细胞特性对宏观力学行为的影响

• 批准号: 2435430
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Cambridge
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2435430
• 关键词: Effect; Microscopic; Cellular; Properties; Macroscopic

Many tissues, such as skin and muscles, repeatedly undergo large deformation as part of their physiology. Even though it is possible to alter the expression of different genes in a cell, there is very little information on how molecular activity affects the mechanical properties of tissues at large scales. Relevant factors include the mechanical properties of individual cells, how cells interact with each other and the extracellular matrix to form tissues. The project proposed will include experimentation, theoretical modelling and analysis to investigate the cellular, sub-cellular and multicellular factors that affect mechanical behaviour of living cells and tissues, with particular emphasis on embryonic tissues and cultured epithelia.Method-wise, the project will build upon various experimental mathematical and analysis techniques used by theresearch team of the supervisor. Bringing these together will allow the observation and description of a wide range of cell and tissue behaviour, including large deformations, and at short or long time scales. Mechanical characterization methods will be implemented and there will be particular focus on data analysis and theoretical work.The expected outcome is to establish numerical methods to capture and predict the behaviour of tissues subjected to mechanical perturbations and relate it to biophysical and mechanical parameters, linking individual cell behaviour and properties to macroscopic mechanical properties.

许多组织，如皮肤和肌肉，作为其生理机能的一部分，反复经历大的变形。尽管有可能改变细胞中不同基因的表达，但关于分子活动如何在大范围内影响组织的机械特性的信息却很少。相关因素包括单个细胞的力学特性，细胞如何相互作用以及细胞外基质形成组织。该项目将包括实验、理论建模和分析，以调查影响活细胞和组织机械行为的细胞、亚细胞和多细胞因素，特别强调胚胎组织和培养上皮。在方法上，该项目将建立在导师研究团队使用的各种实验数学和分析技术的基础上。将这些结合在一起将允许在短期或长期尺度上观察和描述广泛的细胞和组织行为，包括大变形。机械表征方法将实施，并将特别侧重于数据分析和理论工作。预期的结果是建立数值方法来捕获和预测受到机械扰动的组织的行为，并将其与生物物理和机械参数联系起来，将单个细胞的行为和特性与宏观力学特性联系起来。