Dynamics in Biology: Modelling and data analysis to explore the dynamics of subcellular structures and cell motility

Satheesan, Sankeert (2021) Dynamics in Biology: Modelling and data analysis to explore the dynamics of subcellular structures and cell motility. Masters thesis, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata.

Text (MS Dissertation of Sankeert Satheesan (16MS071)) 16MS071_Thesis_file.pdf - Submitted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (6MB)

Abstract

The study about complex living systems, spanning from the scale of molecules to whole organisms, requires quantification of experimental data as well as theoretical model building with concrete predictions. This work majorly concentrates on the dynamics involved at the sub-cellular and cellular levels. We used the techniques of stochastic dynamical systems to study two distinct problems. We theoretically explored the effects of molecular processes in the size regulation of subcellular filamentous structures which grow by stochastic assembly and disassembly of subunits in a limiting subunit pool. We showed that hydrolysis (a chemical switching of subunits states) plays a crucial role, and further predicted a collective phenomenon in the presence of hydrolysis. Hydrolysis can lead to size diversity in an ensemble of multiple biofilaments consequently producing bimodal length distributions. At the cellular level, we studied the collective migration in the border cell system in drosophila. A number of imaging and genetic studies revealed key biophysical components regrading the border cell migration. Our overarching aim was to capture various quantitative aspects of border cell dynamics and to build a mathematical model depending on our quantification. However, our preliminary work here mainly deals with the creation of a workflow for image acquisition, creating the desired experimental lines, and in silico analysis for the 3D live imaging of the border cell migration.

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