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08:37
Forming, Confining, and Observing Microtubule-Based Active Nematics
Published on: January 13, 2023
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Soft inclusion in a confined fluctuating active gel
Amit Singh Vishen1, J-F Rupprecht2, G V Shivashankar2
1Simons Centre for the Study of Living Machines, National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 560065, India.
Physical Review. E
|May 20, 2018
Summary
Active noise in viscoelastic gels drives inclusions towards domain edges. This effect, studied via Langevin equations, shows transitions in positioning and deformability, relevant for cellular structures.
Area of Science:
- Soft Matter Physics
- Biophysics
- Statistical Mechanics
Background:
- Active viscoelastic gels exhibit complex dynamics.
- Biological inclusions (organelles, cells) are subject to confinement and active forces.
- Understanding inclusion dynamics is crucial for cell biology and tissue engineering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the stochastic dynamics of point and extended inclusions in a 1D confined active viscoelastic gel.
- To model inclusion behavior using Langevin equations and analyze the effects of active noise.
- To explore how inclusion properties (rigid, elastic, viscoelastic) influence their positioning and deformability.
Main Methods:
- Formulating Langevin equations for point and extended inclusions.
- Employing adiabatic elimination to derive overdamped equations.
- Analyzing coupled Langevin equations for extended inclusions.
- Calculating steady-state probability distributions.
Main Results:
- Point and extended inclusion dynamics are described by Langevin equations with multiplicative noise.
- Active noise induces attraction of inclusions towards the edges of the confining domain.
- A sharp transition in the probability distribution's shape occurs with varying active noise amplitude when a centering force is present.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a theoretical framework for understanding inclusion dynamics in active gels.
- Results offer insights into the positioning and deformability of biological inclusions like organelles and cells.
- The findings have implications for modeling cellular organization and tissue mechanics.
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