Regensburg 2025 – scientific programme
Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help
BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 17: Poster Session II
BP 17.40: Poster
Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 18:00–20:30, P4
Competition between deformation and free volume quantified by 3D image analysis of red blood cell — •Pavlik Lettinga1,2, Mehrnaz Babaki1,2, Dmitry Fedosov1, Amirezza Gholivand1, Remco Tuinier3, and Joeri Opdam3 — 1Forschungszentrum Jülich — 2KU Leuven — 3TU Eindhoven
Cells in living organisms are subjected to mechanical strains caused by external forces like overcrowding, resulting in strong deformations that affect cell function. We study the interplay between deformation and crowding of red blood cells (RBCs) in dispersions of nonabsorbing rod-like viruses. We identify a sequence of configurational transitions of RBC doublets, including configurations that can only be induced by long-ranged attraction: highly fluctuating T-shaped and face-to-face configurations at low, and doublets approaching a complete spherical configuration at high, rod concentrations. Complementary simulations are used to explore different energy contributions to deformation as well as the stability of RBC doublet configurations. Our advanced analysis of 3D reconstructed confocal images of RBC doublets quantifies the depletion interaction and the resulting deformation energy. Thus, we introduce a noninvasive, high-throughput platform that is generally applicable to investigate the mechanical response of biological cells to external forces and characterize their mechanical properties.
Keywords: Red blood cells; bending energy; depletion; simulations; confocal microscopy