"Active" drops as phantom models for living cells: a mesoscopic particle-based approach

Area of Science:

• Soft matter physics
• Biophysics
• Computational modeling

Background:

• Biological cells and drops share morphological and viscoelastic similarities.
• Mesoscopic non-atomistic models have successfully simulated drop behavior.
• Understanding cell-surface interactions is crucial in various biological and material science applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a drop-like model for simulating cell-material interactions.
• To investigate the adhesion dynamics and collective behavior of cells on surfaces.
• To link emergent mechanical properties of simulated cells to their biological functions.

Main Methods:

• Cells modeled as active, fluid-like "parcels" or beads.
• Bead properties represent fundamental chemical forces (hydrophilicity, lipophilicity).
• Mesoscopic simulations track adhesion, motion, and cluster behavior.

Main Results:

• Simulated drops exhibit active soft matter behavior, distinct from passive droplets.
• Model cells do not fuse on contact and show non-Brownian motion.
• Simulations enable studying adhesion dynamics, individual cell movement, and collective cell clustering.

Conclusions:

• The drop-like model effectively captures cell-like mechanical properties.
• Emergent behaviors in simulations correlate cell mechanics with biological features.
• This approach offers insights into cell adhesion and collective dynamics on material surfaces.