Modeling the mechanics of quasi-2D biological tissues through morphological cues

Nakib, Mayisha Zeb

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129892 Copy

Description

Title

Modeling the mechanics of quasi-2D biological tissues through morphological cues

Author(s)

Nakib, Mayisha Zeb

Issue Date

2025-07-18

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Hilgenfeldt, Sascha

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Chemla, Yann

Committee Member(s)

• Cooper, Lance
• Leggett, Anthony

Department of Study

Physics

Discipline

Physics

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• mechanobiology
• tissue mechanics
• morphology
• loss of rigidity transition
• fluid transition
• cell mechanics
• biophysics
• MDCK
• actin
• anisotropic tissue
• anharmonic elasticity

Abstract

Simple vertex models have shown that the mechanical properties of 2D space-filling domain structures (e.g., layers of foam bubbles, emulsion droplets, Voronoi tiles, etc.) are related to their morphology (both to the geometry and to the statistical organization of the domains). The present research aims at confirming the degree to which these concepts are applicable to layers of biological cells, using experimental data and modeling of epithelial tissue sheets. Preliminary results show that geometric and statistical diagnostics deviate from 2D theory, and that the cause of such deviations is mechanical stress introduced at the apical and basal sides of the cell layer. Modified modeling approaches incorporating these effects are discussed. In this work, we propose an extension of this morphological analysis to biological tissue systems by explicitly accounting for aspects of biological tissue activity as part of a theoretical model. The results greatly impact the ability to quantitatively diagnose the mechanics and stability of tissue samples non-invasively as well as to identify and potentially generate morphological tissue states having desired physical properties.

Graduation Semester

2025-08

Type of Resource

Thesis

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129892

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2025 Mayisha Zeb Nakib

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