Active Nematics Reinforce the Ratchet Flow in Dense Environments Without Jamming
Abstract The past decade witnessed a surge in discoveries where biological systems, such as bacteria or living cells, inherently portray active polar or nematic behavior: they prefer to align with each other and form local order during migration. Although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, ut...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Advanced Science |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202412750 |
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| author | Yisong Yao Zihui Zhao He Li Yongfeng Zhao H. P. Zhang Masaki Sano |
| author_facet | Yisong Yao Zihui Zhao He Li Yongfeng Zhao H. P. Zhang Masaki Sano |
| author_sort | Yisong Yao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The past decade witnessed a surge in discoveries where biological systems, such as bacteria or living cells, inherently portray active polar or nematic behavior: they prefer to align with each other and form local order during migration. Although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, utilizing their physical properties to achieve controllable cell‐layer transport will be of fundamental importance. In this study, the ratchet effect is harnessed to control the collective motion of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in vitro. NPCs travel back‐and‐forth and do not specify head or tail, and therefore regarded as nematics alike liquid crystals. Ratchet and splay‐shaped confinements are crafted to modulate collective cell dynamics in dense environments, while jamming is not explicitly spotted. The adaptation of an agent‐based simulation further revealed how the ratchet's asymmetry and active forces from nematic order synergistically reinforce the directional cell flow. These findings provide insights into topotaxis in cell populations when restricted to crowded 2D ratchets and the mechanisms that regulate collective behavior of the cells. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-55f2227ef520417bb1a96290f072bb36 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2198-3844 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advanced Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-55f2227ef520417bb1a96290f072bb362025-08-20T03:14:12ZengWileyAdvanced Science2198-38442025-03-011211n/an/a10.1002/advs.202412750Active Nematics Reinforce the Ratchet Flow in Dense Environments Without JammingYisong Yao0Zihui Zhao1He Li2Yongfeng Zhao3H. P. Zhang4Masaki Sano5School of Physics and Astronomy Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 ChinaSchool of Physics and Astronomy Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 ChinaInstitute of Natural Sciences Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 ChinaCenter for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research and School of Physical Science and Technology Soochow University Suzhou 215006 ChinaSchool of Physics and Astronomy Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 ChinaSchool of Physics and Astronomy Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 ChinaAbstract The past decade witnessed a surge in discoveries where biological systems, such as bacteria or living cells, inherently portray active polar or nematic behavior: they prefer to align with each other and form local order during migration. Although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, utilizing their physical properties to achieve controllable cell‐layer transport will be of fundamental importance. In this study, the ratchet effect is harnessed to control the collective motion of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in vitro. NPCs travel back‐and‐forth and do not specify head or tail, and therefore regarded as nematics alike liquid crystals. Ratchet and splay‐shaped confinements are crafted to modulate collective cell dynamics in dense environments, while jamming is not explicitly spotted. The adaptation of an agent‐based simulation further revealed how the ratchet's asymmetry and active forces from nematic order synergistically reinforce the directional cell flow. These findings provide insights into topotaxis in cell populations when restricted to crowded 2D ratchets and the mechanisms that regulate collective behavior of the cells.https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202412750active nematicscollective motioncontrollable cell transportjammingratchet effect |
| spellingShingle | Yisong Yao Zihui Zhao He Li Yongfeng Zhao H. P. Zhang Masaki Sano Active Nematics Reinforce the Ratchet Flow in Dense Environments Without Jamming Advanced Science active nematics collective motion controllable cell transport jamming ratchet effect |
| title | Active Nematics Reinforce the Ratchet Flow in Dense Environments Without Jamming |
| title_full | Active Nematics Reinforce the Ratchet Flow in Dense Environments Without Jamming |
| title_fullStr | Active Nematics Reinforce the Ratchet Flow in Dense Environments Without Jamming |
| title_full_unstemmed | Active Nematics Reinforce the Ratchet Flow in Dense Environments Without Jamming |
| title_short | Active Nematics Reinforce the Ratchet Flow in Dense Environments Without Jamming |
| title_sort | active nematics reinforce the ratchet flow in dense environments without jamming |
| topic | active nematics collective motion controllable cell transport jamming ratchet effect |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202412750 |
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