Project Description

Connecting subcellular bio-chemo-mechanics and the active dynamics of epithelial materials through multiscale modeling and computations

Epithelial tissues are continuous sheets of tightly packed cohesive cells that line cavities and organ surfaces. Epithelial layers protect the underlying tissue from pathogens by acting as physical barriers and control transport through selective permeability, protecting the underlying tissue from pathogens by acting as physical barriers and controling transport through selective permeability.

From an engineering perspective, epithelial tissues stand out as remarkable two dimensional active materials increasingly incorporated in biohybrid technologies. However, current computational models are rule-based and phenomenological, and are largely unrelated to subcellular processes, which are increasingly understood at a molecular level and ultimately control epithelial mechanics and dynamics, lacking a meso-scale in the field of mechanobiology. Therefore, current tools are insufficient for scientific inquiry and to support the emerging bioengineering applications mentioned above.

The goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive, credible and sustainable theoretical and computational framework integrating the subcellular bio-chemo-mechanical processes responsible for cytoskeletal, adhesion, and volume dynamics, their mutual interaction, their interaction with external cues, biological signaling, and the emergent mechanical properties of epithelial tissues. As a result of such holistic understanding and predictive computational capability, our results will enable the rational control of their structure and dynamics by mechanical, electrical and chemical means, and their integration in biohybrid devices.