Séminaire PhysBio: Stefano Villa

Location: Amphi Petit

Inferring system properties quantifying the dynamics: from colloidal dynamics to cell tissues.

Stefano Villa (Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany)

Observing dynamics at the microscopic scale is a preferential way of gathering information on the systems under investigation, ranging from passive systems of isolated particles to out-of-equilibrium ones where active components interact with each other. In this talk, I will present two examples that I have explored during my research.

First, I will present results on the thermal dynamics of colloidal particles in the vicinity of an air-water interface. The proximity to the interface affects the dynamics via boundary conditions. The measured diffusivities dramatically deviate from the theoretical predictions, thus revealing the presence of additional agents affecting the colloidal dynamics.

In a second example, a confluent monolayer of epithelial cells is investigated. There, internal stresses trigger the formation of 3D structures (‘domes’). Quantitative analysis of cellular dynamics and domes evolution provides a deeper understanding of the interplay between stresses, cell motility, and tissue remodeling. This simple in vitro system demonstrated to be a valuable model for improving our understanding of the relationship between cell migration and morphogenesis in living tissues.