Dresden 2017 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 55: Cell Migration and Contraction

BP 55.6: Talk

Thursday, March 23, 2017, 16:45–17:00, HÜL 386

Transport of micro-cargo by amoeboid cells — •Oliver Nagel, Manuel Frey, Valention Lepro, Matthias Gerhard, and Carsten Beta — Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany

The directed transport and positioning of micron-sized objects in complex confined geometries is difficult to achieve and often relies on laborious techniques, such as magnetic or optical tweezers, or microsurgery. Here, we propose a alternative approach based on the idea to harness motile amoeboid cells as trucks that transport micro-cargo to desired locations. We show that cells of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum can transport micro-particles with a wide range of different sizes. The cells can be guided by gradients of the chemoattractant cAMP, which can be established with the help of classical gradient chambers or through photo-chemical release from a caged precursor. We compare the motile properties of amoeboid cells with and without cargo. To analyze the limits of cell-driven micro-transport in more detail, we measure the pulling forces applied to a micron-sized bead by a Dictyostelium cell with the help of an optical trap. Furthermore, we demonstrate that not only small objects can be transported in this way, but also larger objects that exceed the size of individual cells by more than an order of magnitude can be moved in a collective effort by aggregates of many cells.