ESPCI web site
Biofluid Mechanics at the Subcellular Scale
In this talk I will present two problems in cell mechanics where insight is gained through analogies with surface-tension-driven flow.
First I will discuss how endothelial cells can oppose the opening of transcellular tunnels that are induced by certain bacterial infections. The experimentally observed dynamics of tunnel opening can be explained through an analogy with viscous liquid dewetting.
Next I will discuss mitochondrial shape dynamics, a question of major biological importance, since disruption of mitochondrial morphology has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases. We experimentally observe that a mechanical perturbation induces a topological change in mitochondria, which fission from a tubular shape into a collection of spherical fragments. This shape change can be interpreted as an elasto-capillary instability, thus suggesting a role for mechanics in the regulation of mitochondrial morphology.
