A fundamental problem in cell biology is to relate how molecular level events result in the emergent mechanics and functions of cellular structures. This is especially challenging since biological processes often exhibit organization and coupling over a wide hierarchy of spatial and temporal scales. This can be readily seen when observing cellular structures, such as the lipid-protein bilayer membrane encasing the cell or the intricate filament architecture of the cytoskeleton. It is expected that this organization is not only designed to have mechanics which allow the cell to resist outside perturbations from the environment, but also to be readily regulated and to provide feedback on cellular processes.
The proposed research aims to contribute to this area by the formulation of new paradigms and the investigation of specific hypotheses. For lipid-protein membranes, mechanisms will be investigated for how mechanical stresses in the bilayer alter protein conformations, protein aggregation and depletion, and protein mobility. For the cytoskeleton, mechanisms will be investigated for how bulk mechanical properties change when augmenting the filament architecture and interactions through passive linkers and active motor proteins. These will be explored through a combination of large-scale computational simulation studies performed by the PI and through experimental studies carried out by collaborators. New mathematical and computational approaches will also be developed for the bridging of organizational scales in dynamic models of cell mechanics.
The proposed research program is integrated with the mentoring and training of both undergraduate and graduate students for work at the interface of mathematics and the biological sciences. Proposed activities also include a number of educational and community outreach initiatives. This includes recruitment of students from under-represented groups leveraging the UC RISE and UC CAMP programs at UCSB, teaching an undergraduate freshman seminar course on mathematical biology, teaching a graduate special topics course on cell mechanics, and participation in the UCSB Math Circle for junior high school teachers and students. In the third year of funding, an interdisciplinary workshop focused on cell mechanics will be organized to facilitate the exchange of research results and to foster collaborations between mathematicians and experimental biologists.
This project is co-funded by the Division of Mathematical Sciences and the Office of Cyber Infrastructure.
