This is a past event
UMass @ Amherst; Lederle Graduate Research Tower, 1033

UMass @ Amherst; "Spontaneous and Induced Cell Polarization and Collective Migration"

Fish keratocyte cells served as the model system to understand biophysics of cell motility for decades. Recently, we combined experiment and modeling to understand the mechanism of polarization of these cells. We found that two essential feedbacks - positive one between myosin density and actin flow, and negative one between stick-slip adhesions and actin flow - underlie the motility initiation. Interestingly, keratocytes polarize in electric fields much faster but not stably, through different mechanism. I will also describe preliminary results on collective keratocyte migration in electric fields.