Approach to biological information processing in a perspective of soft matter physics

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25730178
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Life / Health / Medical informatics
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: KUNITA Itsuki 北海道大学, 電子科学研究所, 博士研究員 (20645478)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞運動 / アクチン繊維 / 集団挙動 / ソフトマター物理 / レオロジー / shear banding

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To study the mechanism of information processing in organisms is interesting from a scientific point of view and is important from a point of view of an informational technology. As cellular motion results from the reception of external environment and the information processing in the cell, it serves as a good model for understanding the information processing functions in living-organisms. In this project, we focus on a cellular motion in soft matter physics. We found that the orientation of actin filaments, which is one of the cytoskeletal proteins, in protoplasmic flow is related more closely to force generation in the cell.

Free Research Field

生物物理学