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Motility induced phase separation of deformable cells.
Austin Hopkins1, Benjamin Loewe2, Michael Chiang2
1Department of Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA. austinhopkins@ucsb.edu.
Soft Matter
|October 18, 2023
Summary
Particle deformability enhances motility induced phase separation (MIPS) by increasing collision duration. Softer cells exhibit more effective MIPS and disordered dense regions, impacting biological self-organization.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Biophysics
- Soft Matter Physics
Background:
- Motility-induced phase separation (MIPS) describes self-organization in active matter systems.
- Cell stiffness, or deformability, is a critical physical parameter influencing cellular behavior and interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of particle deformability on motility-induced phase separation (MIPS).
- To understand how varying cell stiffness affects the dynamics and structure of phase-separated biological systems.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a multi-phase field model to simulate particle interactions.
- Quantified the relationship between particle deformability and MIPS efficiency.
Main Results:
- Purely repulsive deformable particles exhibit more effective MIPS compared to rigid particles.
- Increased particle deformability leads to longer effective collision durations.
- Dense regions formed during MIPS become more disordered as particle deformability increases.
Conclusions:
- Particle deformability significantly influences the efficacy and characteristics of MIPS.
- Findings provide context for the biological relevance of MIPS and its role in cellular self-organization.
- Cell stiffness is a key factor in understanding collective cell behavior and emergent structures.
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