Cell Motility on Micro-fabricated Substrate
Major
Physics
Submission Type
Poster
Area of Study or Work
Biology, Physics
Faculty Advisor
Abdel Isakovic
Location
CNS Atrium
Start Date
4-12-2025 11:15 AM
End Date
4-12-2025 12:15 PM
Abstract
Title: Cell Motility on a Microfabricated Substate Abstract: Biological cell motility is modified as a result of chemotactic exposure, cell density, and substrate characteristics (rigidity, structure, and composition). Using a variety of mechanisms, most commonly the rearrangement of actin and myosin molecules, cells undergo directed deformation and adhesion to produce motion. This study has also shown this contractile/ stick-slip motion is also representative of human foreskin fibroblast cells (HFF) mechanism. Mazes have been used as a means of determining navigation skills and environmental awareness. Using two highly decontaminated micro-fabricated silicone substrates- one with a repeating maze wall pattern and another with random maze-like wall structures- human foreskin fibroblast cells were placed in varying densities (1,000 to 5,000 cells per 1002 um micro-maze) and imaged and monitored over 5 hours. Modes of motility, aspect ratio and mechanisms were observed and categorized into directed migration, constrained motility, random walk, and at-least one mode that wasn’t expected and non-categorized. Interestingly more than half the cells would “cheat” and climb over the micro-fabricated walls, some even forming trenches, within the 5 hour study period. The cell aspect ratio major axis was shown to be in the direction of motion for a majority of the cells in the study. These results prompt many questions regarding intercellular communication and cellular behavior. Information regarding aspect ratio also provides more information about actin filament tension changes. Overall this study provides important information that has applications in biological tissue formation, and is directed towards future work studying and comparing this behavior of healthy cells to that of cancer cells to understand the mechanisms behind metastatic cancer. Acknowledgments: A very deep appreciation for Dr. Abel Isakovic for inviting me into and guiding me through this project. Sources: K. Doxzen, S. R. Vedula, M. C. Leong, H. Hirata, N. S. Gov, A. J. Kabla, B. Ladoux and C. T. Lim, Guidance of collective cell migration by substrate geometry, Integr. Biol., (5), 1026–1035. (2013) T. E. Angelini, E. Hannezo, X. Trepat, J. J. Fredberg, D. A. Weitz, Cell migration driven by cooperative substrate deformation patterns. Phys. Rev. Lett. (104), 168104. (2010)
Cell Motility on Micro-fabricated Substrate
CNS Atrium
Title: Cell Motility on a Microfabricated Substate Abstract: Biological cell motility is modified as a result of chemotactic exposure, cell density, and substrate characteristics (rigidity, structure, and composition). Using a variety of mechanisms, most commonly the rearrangement of actin and myosin molecules, cells undergo directed deformation and adhesion to produce motion. This study has also shown this contractile/ stick-slip motion is also representative of human foreskin fibroblast cells (HFF) mechanism. Mazes have been used as a means of determining navigation skills and environmental awareness. Using two highly decontaminated micro-fabricated silicone substrates- one with a repeating maze wall pattern and another with random maze-like wall structures- human foreskin fibroblast cells were placed in varying densities (1,000 to 5,000 cells per 1002 um micro-maze) and imaged and monitored over 5 hours. Modes of motility, aspect ratio and mechanisms were observed and categorized into directed migration, constrained motility, random walk, and at-least one mode that wasn’t expected and non-categorized. Interestingly more than half the cells would “cheat” and climb over the micro-fabricated walls, some even forming trenches, within the 5 hour study period. The cell aspect ratio major axis was shown to be in the direction of motion for a majority of the cells in the study. These results prompt many questions regarding intercellular communication and cellular behavior. Information regarding aspect ratio also provides more information about actin filament tension changes. Overall this study provides important information that has applications in biological tissue formation, and is directed towards future work studying and comparing this behavior of healthy cells to that of cancer cells to understand the mechanisms behind metastatic cancer. Acknowledgments: A very deep appreciation for Dr. Abel Isakovic for inviting me into and guiding me through this project. Sources: K. Doxzen, S. R. Vedula, M. C. Leong, H. Hirata, N. S. Gov, A. J. Kabla, B. Ladoux and C. T. Lim, Guidance of collective cell migration by substrate geometry, Integr. Biol., (5), 1026–1035. (2013) T. E. Angelini, E. Hannezo, X. Trepat, J. J. Fredberg, D. A. Weitz, Cell migration driven by cooperative substrate deformation patterns. Phys. Rev. Lett. (104), 168104. (2010)