Design Principles of Morphogenetic Matter

Synopsis

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Synopsis

My lab studies how the movement and shape of living cells is controlled by living materials.  In this talk, I will describe my lab’s recent efforts to understand the design principles of the active, soft materials that drive cell morphogenesis.  In particular, we are interested in the design principles by which protein-based materials generate, relax, sense and adapt to mechanical force.  I will discuss how motor-filament interactions lead to either distributed extensile or contractile stresses as the mechanics of the system changes from fluid to solid.  Using optical control of motors, we are now exploring how spatially structured stress can be used to drive local flows and motion.  If time permits, I will also describe how feedbacks between local geometry and activity can be harnessed to drive morphogenetic changes in model systems.