Dynamics of Detachment of Real and Artificial Cells

Speaker: Professor Francoise BROCHARD, Institute Curie, Paris

When: October 12, 2006 (Thu), 12:00PM to 03:00PM (add to my calendar)
Location: SCI 352
Hosted by: H. Eugene Stanley

This event is part of the Biophysics/Condensed Matter Seminar Series.

Pizza Lunch Discussion 12-1

ABSTRACT: We study the force to detach cells and the dynamics of detachment on real cells, and artificial cells: liquid vesicles (or red blood cells) and elastic rubber beads decorated with specific proteins. We find that for both liquid and elastic beads, the force of detachment is proportional to the adhesion energy and the radius of the bead, with a different numerical factor. We follow the dynamics of detachment by imaging the contact by optical interferometry using millimetric rubber beads. We find three steps (I decompression, II adhesive unbinding and III catastrophic rupture) interpreted by a transfer of mechanical energy into viscous loss to break the binding proteins.