Description
The cytoskeleton is a network of polymers that underlies many cellular processes. The cytoskeleton’s adaptability stems from the mechanical properties of its biopolymers, including rigid microtubules and semiflexible actin filaments. We examine the restructuring effects of the fibrous scaffold in response to embedded cells and their spatial distribution, which is critical to engineering tissue and living materials. Using multi-spectral confocal microscopy and spatial image autocorrelation we quantify the characteristic structural correlation length scales of both the cells and the network and map the relationship between cell concentration, filament rigidity, and network mesh size. Our preliminary results suggest that both rigidity and cell concentration play important roles in network mesh size and in the spatial distribution of cells. Future work will investigate cell growth within the network, which is critical to engineering materials that employ these composite scaffolds.
Cells Embedded in Cytoskeleton Composites for Living Materials
The cytoskeleton is a network of polymers that underlies many cellular processes. The cytoskeleton’s adaptability stems from the mechanical properties of its biopolymers, including rigid microtubules and semiflexible actin filaments. We examine the restructuring effects of the fibrous scaffold in response to embedded cells and their spatial distribution, which is critical to engineering tissue and living materials. Using multi-spectral confocal microscopy and spatial image autocorrelation we quantify the characteristic structural correlation length scales of both the cells and the network and map the relationship between cell concentration, filament rigidity, and network mesh size. Our preliminary results suggest that both rigidity and cell concentration play important roles in network mesh size and in the spatial distribution of cells. Future work will investigate cell growth within the network, which is critical to engineering materials that employ these composite scaffolds.
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Faculty Mentor: Rae Anderson