Biophysics and biomaterials

Cells migrate to perform tasks essential for life, for example to repair injured tissues. Migration can also contribute to disease, like tumor formation and metastasis. The biophysical process of cellular migration is not well understood. The fellow below examines the material aspects of the interaction of the biological membrane with the contact surfaces during migration.

Inga Põldsalu

Photo of Inga Poldsalu

Country of origin: Estonia
Host: Irep Gözen
Group: Gözen Group
Thematic area:  Bionanotechnology and Membrane Systems
Project title: Biomembrane interfaces
Project title: Impact of interfaces at nano- and microscale on the migratory behaviour of cellular or cell-derived membranes.

My project

Cells migrate to perform tasks essential for life and are associated with disease development. While migrating, cells continuously interact with the contact areas they establish on surfaces, and with their surrounding environment. Migration is highly dependent on how cells sense the interface they migrate on. Despite the known roles in cell migration, the materials associated processes at the interfaces between a migrating cell and its environment have received little attention.

This project will focus on soft- and hard matter solid interfaces, with the aim to fabricate substrates at the nano- and microscale to study their interaction with simplified, minimal cell models.