CAREER: The mechanics and control of cell dispersal

Tufts University, Medford MA

Investigators

Abstract

PI: Guasto, Jeffrey Proposal Number: 1554095 This CAREER proposal is focused on the investigation of how the material properties of viscous fluids affect the motion of cells. The goal is to contribute insights into the broad field of cell transport, and to understand how different physical processes affecting the swimming of cells can regulate a host of diverse biological functions. The results of this research could have an impact on multiple fields, including public health, ecology, engineering and medicine. Phenomena that are important to the treatment of fertility and the mechanisms of spreading of disease will be investigated. While most prior work in this area has been focused on cases of swimming in Newtonian fluids (aquatic environments mainly), and ideally shaped swimmers, this is a proposal to investigate the swimming of real bacteria cells and in non-Newtonian fluids, like cervical mucus. The development of a novel nano-scale experimental technique, based on high speed imaging, for the monitoring of the motion of each individual cell is also proposed. In addition to graduate and undergraduate student training, a new outreach program (STOMP) will be developed in collaboration with Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach that will be based on using high-speed imaging.