Status
Completed

Period
20-24 March 2023

Applicant
Marcos Gouveia

Home Institution
CFisUC – Center for Physics of the University of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

Host Contact
Prof. Giuseppe Gonnella

Host Institution
Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy

Aim of the mission
The structure of adhesive and cytoskeletal proteins affects cell dynamics and plays an important role in diverse biological processes associated with health and disease. The deformation of cells is dependent of the topological properties of cytoskeleton fibers and on how they can exert forces at the cellular membrane. In this STSM we will develop a simulation that implements the first steps in coupling a coarse-grained model of cytoskeleton fibers elongation with vesicle deformation. This work is under the WG5 of Eutopia cost action as we will model the dynamics of topological structures in active fluids to simulate the cytoskeleton and its function.

Summary of the Results
During the grant period, I, in close collaboration with researchers from the host institution, initiated the development of a new mathematical model that combines a discrete model of Active Brownian Particles and a continuous description of the vesicle, using the phase field method. The phase field method for the description of the vesicle was implemented using code written from scratch, while for the molecular dynamics part the LAMMPS package was used.

Dissemination
This STSM allowed the beginning of a new collaboration between the group of Professor Gonnella in Bari and the Biological Soft Matter Group at CFisUC, University of Coimbra. The work that was started during the STSM period is in active development, including regular meetings between the members of both groups.