Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HYDROBIOMEM (Hydrodynamics of Double Membrane Spreading in Biology)
Reporting period: 2023-09-01 to 2025-08-31
In HYDROBIOMEM I have worked to develop novel theoretical tools and computational methods to describe the double membrane wrapping in autophagy by combining tools from soft matter physics, differential geometry and fluid mechanics. Autophagy is a dynamic biomembrane process that is the principle pathway for calls to degrade harmful components. As such, its misregulation is involved in an enormous number of pathologies including cancer, Alzheimers and Parkinson’s. Here we aim to develop a biophysical understanding of the fundamental processes which govern the membrane dynamics of autophagy, in particular the role of activity via the recruitment of binding proteins and lipids, and hydrodynamic dissipation.
Note that this project was ended early for personal reasons. I developed general covariant hydrodynamic equations to describe the curvature coupling and dissipative dynamics lipid membranes with proteins embedded across the membrane. This complemented earlier work performed in the group analyzing the statics of such a system in the geometry of a tube.
I developed a numerical scheme for solving 1D geometric PDEs in arbitrary geometry, initially this was applied to a simplified system of odd active filaments. The long-term goal is to apply such methods to axis-symmetric double membrane wrapping problems.
I developed a numerical scheme for solving 1D geometric PDEs in arbitrary geometry, initially this was applied to a simplified system of odd active filaments. The long-term goal is to apply such methods to axis-symmetric double membrane wrapping problems.
The development of protein-membrane covariant hydrodynamic equations in general, coordinate free form was an advance beyond the current state of the art. In addition the application of such equations to the instability of a protein covered membrane tube yielded new insights on the dissipative mechanisms governing the protein-induced pearling instability. We showed that the membrane viscosity is the dominant dissipative factor in the secondary dispersive peak (short wavelength instability).