Thin-layer approximation for the multi-physics and multiscale simulation of cell membrane electrodeformation.

Area of Science:

• Computational biology
• Biophysics
• Electromechanics

Background:

• Multi-physics simulations are crucial for understanding complex biological phenomena like cell deformation (ED) and electropermeabilization (EP).
• Finite element (FE) simulations for multiscale electromechanical properties are computationally intensive due to numerous degrees of freedom.
• Existing methods struggle with the computational cost of simulating phenomena across vastly different length scales, from membrane thickness to tissue scaffolds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a general and computationally efficient method for simulating multiscale cell deformation under direct-current electric fields.
• To introduce and validate a novel thin-layer approximation (TLA) as a Dirichlet boundary condition for representing the cell membrane in electromechanical simulations.
• To provide a robust and accurate simulation approach for predicting cell behavior under electrical stimulation.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a thin-layer approximation (TLA) as a specific Dirichlet boundary condition to model the capacitive elastic cell membrane.
• Comparison of TLA-based simulations with a traditional model incorporating physical membrane thickness to assess accuracy.
• Analysis of Maxwell stress tensor (MST) and cell displacement to evaluate the forces driving electrodeformation (ED).

Main Results:

• The TLA method significantly reduces computational expense while maintaining accuracy in simulating multiscale cell deformation.
• Results obtained using TLA show strong agreement with a physical membrane model, validating the approximation.
• The study provides benchmark data for vesicle deformation and confirms the TLA's relevance in predicting aspect ratios of electrically induced ellipsoidal deformation.

Conclusions:

• The proposed thin-layer approximation (TLA) offers a computationally efficient and accurate approach for simulating multiscale electromechanical phenomena in biological cells.
• This method provides a valuable tool for researchers studying cell deformation and electropermeabilization, enabling more complex and extensive simulations.
• The TLA serves as a robust benchmark for predicting cell deformation, advancing the field of computational biophysics and electrobiology.