Biological assemblies at interfaces

Many cellular processes involve the transport of proteins and biopolymers on curved fluid-like interfaces. One example is the continuous reorganization of the cell cortex made of the dynamic network of actin filaments, which determines the cell’s mechanical integrity and drives cell division. Another example is the transport and organization of rodlike proteins that preferentially bind to areas of specific curvatures, such as septin oligomers and BAR domains. The the curved closed geometry of biological interfaces introduces novel features to momentum and mass transport at the interface, which makes it distinct from 3D and 2D planar flows. These geometric features are determined themselves by the the coupling between the interfacial stresses and the viscoelastic properties of the interface.

We use a combination of atomistic , coarse-grain, and continuum simulations to study the interplay between shape, interfacial flows and self-organization of cellular materials at interfaces.