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Schelling model of cell segregation based only on local information
Alexander Valentin Nielsen1, Annika Lund Gade1, Jeppe Juul1
1University of Copenhagen, Niels Bohr Institute, Blegdamsvej 17, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|December 15, 2015
Summary
Cell motility differences, driven by local environment, can cause cell segregation. This computational model shows the Schelling model
Area of Science:
- Computational biology
- Cellular dynamics
- Mathematical modeling
Background:
- Cell motility is implicated in cell segregation.
- Few computational models explore this mechanism.
- Existing models often require global information.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if local environmental differences in cell motility can drive segregation.
- To adapt the Schelling model for biological relevance.
- To assess the robustness of segregation behavior with relaxed information requirements.
Main Methods:
- Applied a modified Schelling model.
- Incorporated cell motility differences based on local environment composition.
- Analyzed segregation dynamics and time course.
Main Results:
- Differences in cell motility from local environment alone are sufficient for cell segregation.
- Segregation behavior is robust to relaxed global information requirements.
- The time course of cell segregation follows a power law, consistent with experimental data.
Conclusions:
- The modified Schelling model provides insights into biological cell segregation.
- Local environmental factors significantly influence cell motility and segregation.
- The model's power-law dynamics align with empirical observations.
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