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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik
DY 53: Statistical Physics of Biological Systems III (joint session BP/DY)
DY 53.12: Talk
Friday, March 22, 2024, 12:45–13:00, H 2032
Heterogenity in Mucus by statistical analysis from particle tracking — •Thomas John, Sten Leipnitz, Enkeleda Meziu, and Christian Wagner — Campus, University Saarland, Saarbrücken, Germany
In the respiratory tract, cells constantly produce mucus that transports tiny dust particles out of the lungs. It’s a protein solution that consists of more than 95% water. It’s believed that the proteins form a heterogeneous network, but this cannot be resolved with light microscopy. We are investigating the diffusion behavior of nanoparticles (multi-particle tracking) in mucus and comparing it to glycerol-water mixtures with comparable viscosity. We show that the probability density function of individual particle diffusion coefficients Di in mucus is significantly broader than expected from a homogeneous solution. The spatial autocorrelation of Di also declines more slowly in mucus compared to glycerol-water mixtures. Experiments are compared with numerical simulations of Brownian motion. With these statistical analysis methods, we can support the model of a heterogeneous structure of mucus.
Keywords: brownian motion; diffusion; mucus; multi particle tracking