Regensburg 2025 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 43: Active Matter IV (joint session BP/CPP/DY)

DY 43.11: Vortrag

Freitag, 21. März 2025, 12:30–12:45, H44

Active membrane deformations of a synthetic cell-mimicking system — Alfredo Sciortino¹, •Dmitry Fedosov², Gerhard Gompper², and Andreas Bausch¹ — ¹Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Garching bei München, Germany — ²Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany

Biological cells are fascinating micromachines capable of adapting their shape due to the complex interaction between a deformable membrane and the dynamic activity of the cytoskeleton. We investigate the behavior of an active synthetic cell-mimicking system using simulations and experiments. In simulations, the model consists of a fluid vesicle with a few encapsulated growing filaments. In experiments, giant vesicles contain an active cytoskeletal network composed of microtubules, crosslinkers, and molecular motors. These active vesicles show strong shape fluctuations reminiscent of shape changes of biological cells. We analyze membrane fluctuations and show how the intricate coupling between soft confinement and internal active forces results in fluctuation spectra with distinct spatial and temporal scales, differing significantly from those of passive vesicles. Simulations demonstrate the universality of this behavior, quantifying the impact of correlated activity on the dynamics of membrane deformations. This model makes a step toward quantitative description of shape-morphing artificial and living systems.

Keywords: active vesicle; shape deformation; membrane fluctuations; cell-mimicking system; simulation