Activity pulses induce spontaneous flow reversals in viscoelastic environments
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Activity pulses induce spontaneous flow reversals in viscoelastic environments. / Plan, Emmanuel L. C. V. I. M.; Yeomans, Julia M.; Doostmohammadi, Amin.
I: Interface Focus, Bind 18, Nr. 177, 20210100, 14.04.2021.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Activity pulses induce spontaneous flow reversals in viscoelastic environments
AU - Plan, Emmanuel L. C. V. I. M.
AU - Yeomans, Julia M.
AU - Doostmohammadi, Amin
PY - 2021/4/14
Y1 - 2021/4/14
N2 - Complex interactions between cellular systems and their surrounding extracellular matrices are emerging as important mechanical regulators of cell functions, such as proliferation, motility and cell death, and such cellular systems are often characterized by pulsating actomyosin activities. Here, using an active gel model, we numerically explore spontaneous flow generation by activity pulses in the presence of a viscoelastic medium. The results show that cross-talk between the activity-induced deformations of the viscoelastic surroundings and the time-dependent response of the active medium to these deformations can lead to the reversal of spontaneously generated active flows. We explain the mechanism behind this phenomenon based on the interaction between the active flow and the viscoelastic medium. We show the importance of relaxation time scales of both the polymers and the active particles and provide a phase space over which such spontaneous flow reversals can be observed. Our results suggest new experiments investigating the role of controlled pulses of activity in living systems ensnared in complex mircoenvironments.
AB - Complex interactions between cellular systems and their surrounding extracellular matrices are emerging as important mechanical regulators of cell functions, such as proliferation, motility and cell death, and such cellular systems are often characterized by pulsating actomyosin activities. Here, using an active gel model, we numerically explore spontaneous flow generation by activity pulses in the presence of a viscoelastic medium. The results show that cross-talk between the activity-induced deformations of the viscoelastic surroundings and the time-dependent response of the active medium to these deformations can lead to the reversal of spontaneously generated active flows. We explain the mechanism behind this phenomenon based on the interaction between the active flow and the viscoelastic medium. We show the importance of relaxation time scales of both the polymers and the active particles and provide a phase space over which such spontaneous flow reversals can be observed. Our results suggest new experiments investigating the role of controlled pulses of activity in living systems ensnared in complex mircoenvironments.
KW - flow reversal
KW - active matter
KW - viscoelastic effects
KW - activity pulse
KW - polymer relaxation
U2 - 10.1098/rsif.2021.0100
DO - 10.1098/rsif.2021.0100
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 33849330
VL - 18
JO - Journal of the Royal Society Interface
JF - Journal of the Royal Society Interface
SN - 2042-8898
IS - 177
M1 - 20210100
ER -
ID: 261608479