Computational Cell Mechanics

The computational cell mechanics group develops models for the mechanical behavior of cells and small cellular aggregates.  We investigate the influence of mechanical phenomena such as impact or adhesion on the shape and morphology of living cells.

Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) techniques are being applied for simulating the transduction of mechanical forces (e.g. bruising) in plant cells. This particle-based method explicitly models the dynamic behavior of the cell wall and intracellular fluid and is especially suited for simulating failure of cellular tissue after impact.

Individual-cell based models (IBMs) are used for simulating the intercellular interactions in small cell colonies and aggregates. For example, we study how cell-cell adhesion in yeast influences colony formation and morphology.