Programming force, fluid-flow, and motility in biological active matter

*To request access to the videoconference, email dsivak@sfu.ca

Synopsis

Cells use non-equilibrium networks of microtubules and motor proteins to generate behaviors including cell movement, division, and material transport. At larger length scales, motor-filament networks generate the forces that shape organs during development and provide macroscopic organisms like the blue whale with the hardware to generate the forces underlying locomotion. In this seminar,  I will discuss our efforts to reconstitute active proteins networks outside of cells and to program their behavior using light. Through our programming efforts, we have been led to explore the unique biophysical properties of non-equilibrium protein assemblies. Broadly, we are interested in understanding the cell as an 'active' computational device and in analyzing how physics and information combine to generate core cellular behaviors.