Mechanoimmunology: swarming & mechanical memory in immune cell collectives. Swarming, the rapid aggregation of many individuals around a focal point, is a phenomenon that pervades biological systems,
Description
Mechanoimmunology: swarming & mechanical memory in immune cell collectives. Swarming, the rapid aggregation of many individuals around a focal point, is a phenomenon that pervades biological systems, from insects, birds, and fish to larger mammals. In cells, swarming behaviour has been mechanistically described in neutrophil and T cell populations. This project will explore and quantitatively uncover whether swarming is a universal phenomenon among immune cell populations, and determine how such collective behaviour is influenced by the mechanics of the environment, and whether immune cells can retain a memory of the mechanical landscape they traverse. The project will advance our understanding of how the cells of our immune systems communicate and congregate, and also inform engineering solutions of the future.. Scheme: ARC Future Fellowships. Field: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Lead: A/Prof Maté Biro