IPLS Seminar: Prof. Suraj Shankar (University of Michigan)

Abstract: Water is the dominant component of all cells. While rapid plant motions are often driven by water movement through hydrated cells and tissue, the dynamical consequences of intracellular fluid flow (hydraulics) for animal physiology remain poorly understood. The primary effector of all animal behavior and locomotion is muscle which functions as a complex and hierarchically organized contractile machine. I will show that a coarse-grained multiscale description of muscle fibers as a soft, wet, active solid is essential to understand the range and limits of muscular motion and power generation. I will demonstrate two consequences of this description - the dynamics of active contractions are constrained by fluid flow within a muscle fiber ('active hydraulics') and 3D mechanical response of a muscle fiber is nonreciprocal ('odd elasticity') allowing it to function as a soft engine using strain cycles. I will conclude by highlighting some physiological implications of these results
 
Host: Philip Pearce (philip.pearce@ucl.ac.uk)