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Living cells convert chemical energy into mechanical stress to navigate complex environments during various
biophysical processes. Cell motility involves a combination of protrusive and contractile forces generated
by the cytoskeleton. In the absence of external cues, steady motion emerges through spontaneous
symmetry breaking, where local fluctuations in cytoskeletal components lead to a polarized state
with a well-defined front and rear. However, in environments composed of other cells or the extracellular matrix,
which is often viscoelastic in nature, cells experience confinement effects, wherein contractile forces become more dominant.
In this talk, I will discuss how contractility drives spontaneous motion under confinement and how a viscoelastic environment modifies this behavior. Using theoretical modeling, we show that the interplay between a cell’s internal dynamics and the mechanical properties of its surroundings can lead to oscillatory motion in a viscoelastic medium, and penetrating, trapping or bouncing at viscoelastic boundaries. I will also talk about our ongoing work on how these cells move through narrow constrictions using a simple model that can capture the essential features of existing complex models of cell migration, and which can be applied to understand migration in diverse environments. |