Fusion Dynamics of Hybrid Cell-Microparticle Aggregates: A Jelly Pearl Model

Langmuir. 2022 May 3;38(17):5296-5306. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c02949. Epub 2022 Feb 3.

Abstract

We study the fusion of homogeneous cell aggregates and of hybrid aggregates combining cells and microparticles. In all cases, we find that the contact area does not vary linearly over time, as observed for liquid drops, but rather it follows a power law in t2/3. This result is interpreted by generalizing the fusion model of soft viscoelastic solid balls to viscoelastic liquid balls, akin to jelly pearls. We also explore the asymmetric fusion between a homogeneous aggregate and a hybrid aggregate. This latter experiment allows the determination of the self-diffusion coefficient of the cells in a tissue by following the spatial distribution of internalized particles in the cells.

MeSH terms

  • Hybrid Cells*