Published Models

How does immune cell polarity respond to changing stimuli? Introduction Neutrophils are fast-moving immune cells that polarize and reorient in response to external signals. Using optogenetic control of PI3K, recent experiments revealed that when a localized light stimulus becomes global, cells reverse their polarity — a behaviour not predicted by classical models.

How does the single zygote transform into a 128-cell stage? Introduction This project aims to simulate the development of a human embryo from a single zygote cell to the 128-cell stage using a Cellular Potts Model (CPM).

How does morphogen transport in a growing tissue feed back on tissue growth through morphogen signaling and cell division? Introduction The Drosophila wing primordium is a two-dimensional epithelial tissue that grows in response to the concentration profile of the morphogen Dpp (see Fig.

Cell motility simulation with a reaction-diffusion model for actin waves on the cell perimeter Introduction A partial differential equation model for ‘actin waves’ by Holmes et al., 2012 was simplified and investigated by PDE bifurcation analysis in Hughes et al.

Spatial relaxation oscillator produces spatial dynamics and spiral waves, simplification of a previous model for actin waves Introduction Motivated by alternative cell motility modes in eukaryotic cells like Dictyostelium discoideum, we consider a simplified version of an intracellular model for an F-actin negative feedback to an (active/inactive) GTPase system.

How is the right islet size established during zebrafish pancreas development? Introduction Beta cells in the developing pancreas of zebrafish divide rapidly between 5 and 30 days post fertilization (dpf) and additional beta cells are recruited to the islet.

How can a densely packed PSM tissue mechanically split up into a string of separate somites? Introduction Somitogenesis is the defining developmental process of vertebrate species and essential for the segmentation of the main body axis and, among other repetitive structures, the formation of vertebrae.

Viral Spread within the Human Airway Epithelium (HAE) Introduction The spread of viral infections within tissues depends on several factors including the spatial distribution and turnover dynamics of target cells.

Hepatocyte–sinusoid alignment (HSA) causes asymmetric shapes in early hepatocellular tumors. Introduction The mammalian liver is subdivided into lobes and further into thousands of hexagonal columns, called lobules, which act in parallel.

Hepatocyte–sinusoid alignment (HSA) supports the coordination of hepatocytes during liver regeneration after damage by carbon tetrachloride. Introduction The regenerative capacity of the mammalian liver did already inspire the fate of Prometheus in Greek Myth but it still poses many questions today that call for spatio-temporal multicellular modeling.