Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 19, 2026
10:07
Generating Controlled, Dynamic Chemical Landscapes to Study Microbial Behavior
Published on: January 31, 2020
6.7K
Modeling Excitable Dynamics of Chemotactic Networks
Sayak Bhattacharya1, Pablo A Iglesias2
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|June 9, 2016
Summary
Computational models simulate cell chemotaxis by tracking intracellular species. This study shows how to simulate stochastic variations in excitable networks using the Virtual Cell environment.
Area of Science:
- Computational biology
- Cellular signaling
Background:
- Chemotaxis models track intracellular species for cell response to stimuli.
- Stochastic variations and excitable networks influence cellular signaling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To illustrate the creation of simulations for excitable networks.
- To apply the Virtual Cell modeling environment for complex cellular processes.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing the Virtual Cell modeling environment for simulations.
- Modeling spatially and temporally varying distributions of intracellular species.
- Incorporating stochastic variations into deterministic models.
Main Results:
- Demonstration of simulation setup for excitable networks.
- Successful integration of stochastic effects in cellular models.
Conclusions:
- The Virtual Cell environment facilitates the simulation of complex cellular behaviors like chemotaxis.
- Computational models incorporating stochasticity are crucial for understanding cellular signaling.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Chemotaxis in E. coli
1.2K
Chemotaxis in Escherichia coli is a sensory-driven motility mechanism that enables bacteria to navigate chemical gradients, moving toward beneficial environments while avoiding harmful conditions. This process relies on a signal transduction system integrating external chemical cues with flagellar motor control.Chemoreceptors and Signal DetectionE. coli detects chemical gradients through methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs), which are membrane-bound chemoreceptors that sense attractants...
1.2K
01:21Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration
6.1K
Cells can detect chemical cues in their environment and reorganize the cytoskeleton to migrate toward them or away from them. This directional migration, called chemotaxis, is essential during embryogenesis and development, immune response, tissue repair and regeneration, and reproduction. These chemical cues can either attract or repel the cell's movement. For example, axon development is determined by a combination of chemoattractants and chemorepellents that direct the growing axon...
6.1K
01:25Modeling with Differential Equations
152
Population dynamics can be described mathematically by considering the population size P(t) as a function of time. The rate of change of the population is then represented by the derivative of P(t). A simple assumption is that the rate of growth is proportional to the size of the population itself. This leads to an exponential growth model, where the population increases rapidly without bound. While this is a useful first approximation, it does not reflect realistic long-term...
152
01:13Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility
7.1K
Actin is a family of globular proteins that are highly abundant in eukaryotic cells. It makes up approximately 1-5% of total cell protein concentration. Actin monomers polymerize to form a complex network of polarized filaments, the actin cytoskeleton, that plays a crucial role in many cellular processes, including cell motility, division, endocytosis, and metastasis of cancer cells.
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate....
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate....
7.1K
01:32Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration
5.7K
A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker...
5.7K
01:16Cell Motility through Blebbing
2.7K
Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
2.7K