Dresden 2017 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 25: Posters - Cytoskeletal Filaments

BP 25.4: Poster

Tuesday, March 21, 2017, 14:00–16:00, P2-EG

The challenges of a FEM simulation of an intermediate filament network — •Ralf Schuster, Othmar Marti, and Kay Gottschalk — Institute of Experimental Physics, Ulm University

Our aim is to build a 3D numerical finite element model of the cytoskeleton. The point of interest is the interplay between intermediate filament network and mechanical properties. The cytoskeleton is one of the key elements responsible for stiffness and deformability of cells. Changes in structure and shape of cells, caused by external forces, play an important role for cell migration and proliferation. They trigger reorganizations of the cytoskeleton systems. Metastasizing cancer cells can have a softer cytoskeleton through changes in the network. This leads to a reduced drag resistance when passing through narrow constrictions.

There exist numerical models for the cell deformation, but they are either modelling the cytoplasm as a continuum, or limit the simulations to microtubules and actin filaments. In contrast we look at the behavior and influence of intermediate filament networks, but the implementation of such a model is challenging. Due to the high disparity of scale for the different components of the model, many difficulties arise concerning the mesh and the element quality. Unfortunately, the geometry specifications do not allow simultaneously a coarse mesh with a good quality, thus leading to long computation times. Different approaches to simulate a heterogeneous interior of the cell will be presented and discussed. Models with 3D rod shaped elements for the network structure, as well as with 1D beam elements, were created and tested.