1. Self-Organizing Motors Divide Active Liquid Droplets
MRSEC DMR
2019
University of Chicago IRG2:
Spatiotemporal Control of Active Materials
We have constructed active liquid droplets comprised of the biopolymer actin, crosslinker and molecular motors myosin. The motors spontaneously divide the droplets in half.
Together, Gardel, Vainkunation and Witten showed how liquid crystal droplets could explain the motor centering and droplet bisection. This work shows minimal elements in active soft matter for supporting morphogenic changes, as may have bene seen in primitive cells.
Weirich, Disbaswas, Witten, Vainkunathan, Gardel, PNAS (2019)
This slide shows results recently obtained in a collaborative project involving the groups of Margaret Gardel (Physics and James Franck Institute), Tom Witten (Physics and James Franck Institute) and Suri Vainkunathan (Chemistry and James Franck Institute) and published