Particle-based model to simulate the micromechanics of biological cells

Area of Science:

• * Biophysics
• * Computational Biology
• * Cell Mechanics

Background:

• * Biological cells possess complex internal structures influencing their mechanical response.
• * Understanding cellular reactions to mechanical stimuli is crucial for various biological and medical applications.
• * Existing models often lack the subcellular detail needed to capture intricate mechanical behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To develop and validate a novel particle-based model for simulating cellular responses to mechanical impulses.
• * To investigate the mechanical behavior of plant and animal-like cells under various conditions.
• * To explore the role of internal viscosity and cell wall properties in cellular mechanics and failure.

Main Methods:

• * Modeled the cell's liquid-like interior using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH).
• * Modeled the viscoelastic cell wall using the Discrete Element Method (DEM).
• * Integrated cell wall hydraulic conductivity into the SPH formulation via a constitutive relation.

Main Results:

• * The SPH-DEM model accurately replicated experimental compression data and analytical models for spherical shells.
• * Simulations demonstrated distinct mechanical responses for stiff plant and soft animal-like cells.
• * The model successfully predicted cellular mechanics during and after failure, correlating behavior with viscosity.

Conclusions:

• * The proposed SPH-DEM methodology provides a flexible framework for analyzing cellular responses to mechanical stimuli.
• * This approach enables quantitative predictions of impact-induced damage and mechanical behavior at the subcellular level.
• * The model's ability to incorporate hydrodynamic and viscoelastic properties offers a comprehensive view of cell mechanics.