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SUMMARY:Understanding shape and traction of adherent cells - Prof. Ulrich 
 Schwarz\, University of Karlsruhe &amp\; Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
  &amp\; University of Heidelberg\, Germany
DTSTART:20081205T141500Z
DTEND:20081205T151500Z
UID:TALK13731@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Jurij Kotar
DESCRIPTION:Tissue cells strongly adapt their cytoskeletal architectures\n
 and shapes to environmental cues\, including the geometry of\nthe adhesive
  ligand distribution and the stiffness of\nthe microenvironment. During th
 e last decade\, it has been\nshown that the same physical factors also hav
 e a large\nimpact on cellular function\, including cell\nproliferation and
  differentiation. A growing\nbody of evidence suggests that these decision
 s\nare indeed guided by cell shape\, including forces\nacting at sites of 
 adhesion. Using microcontact printing\,\nquantitative image processing and
  theoretical modelling\,\nwe demonstrate that cell shape is mainly determi
 ned\nby the physics of actively contracting cable networks.\nOur theory ca
 n also be used to calculate forces at sites\nof adhesion. Experimentally t
 hese forces can be measured\non soft elastic substrates with high resoluti
 on traction\nforce microscopy\, which we apply both to stationary and\nmig
 rating cells. In the future\, these advances will be\nintegrated to achiev
 e a comprehensive and quantitative\nunderstanding of cell adhesion.
LOCATION:Small Lecture Theatre\, Cavendish Laboratory
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