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Active Matter Controlling Epithelial Dynamics
February 10, 2022 @ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
![CMSA-Active-Matter-Seminar-02.10.22](https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/media/CMSA-Active-Matter-Seminar-02.10.22-1.png)
Abstract: My lab is interested in the active and adaptive materials that underlie control of cell shape. This has centered around understanding force transmission and sensing within the actin cytoskeleton. I will first review our current understanding of the types of active matter that can be constructed by actin polymers. I will then turn to our recent experiments to understand how Cell shape changes in epithelial tissue. I will describe the two sources of active stresses within these tissues, one driven by the cell cycle and controlling cell-cell stresses and the other controlled by cell-matrix signaling controlling motility. I will then briefly describe how we are using optogenetics to locally control active stresses to reveal adaptive and force-sensitive mechanics of the cytoskeletal machinery. Hopefully, I will convince you that recent experimental and theoretical advances make this a very promising time to study this quite complicated form of active matter.