The focus of this project is the development of a mathematical model for cell adhesion. This project will extend present models by incorporating the transient processes that occur during cell adhesion into the model. The investigator will obtain analytical and numerical solutions for a variety of cell adhesion problems including spontaneous growth of adhesion area, forcible separation of adherent cells, and adhesion and separation under the condition of flow. The researcher also will conduct a systematic parametric analysis on model variables and validate the model by comparison of the results of experimental outcomes. This project is important since the results should help in designing and improving adhesion-dependent biomedical and bioprocessing devices. The mathematical structure that will be used, the moving boundary problem, is needed to understand other processes, such as deposition, melting, solidification, and cell motility, and therefore this research should advance the methodology needed to study a broad range of engineering problems.
