Dynamics and mechanics of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (A14)

• Subject Area: Statistical Physics, Nonlinear Dynamics, Complex Systems, Soft and Fluid Matter, Biological Physics
• Term: from 2011 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 178321814

Wounds or defects in epithelia pose a severe threat that might lead to infection and eventually to death of the organism. The ability to quickly repair physical voids is a crucial feature of multicellular systems. Here, we want to investigate the collective reorganization of a wounded cell monolayer and the accompanying dynamic changes of the cell-substrate distance. For this purpose, we will employ metal induced energy transfer microscopy providing unprecedented axial resolution and cell adhesion noise spectroscopy.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 937: Collective Behaviour of Soft and Biological Matter
• Major Instrumentation: Camera, laser source
• Instrumentation Group: 5430 Hochgeschwindigkeits-Kameras (ab 100 Bilder/Sek)
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Project Heads: Dr. Alexey Chizhik, since 1/2015; Professor Dr. Andreas Janshoff; Professor Dr. Konrad Samwer, until 12/2014