Tunneling through the Cell: Structure and Transport in Organelle Networks

Event Date:
2025-03-27T16:00:00
2025-03-27T17:00:00
Event Location:
HENN 201
Speaker:
Lena Koslover, University of California San Diego (UCSD)
Related Upcoming Events:
Department Colloquia
Intended Audience:
Everyone
Local Contact:

George Rieger (rieger@phas.ubc.ca) and Brett Gladman (gladman@astro.ubc.ca)

All are welcome to this event!

Event Information:

Abstract:

Living cells organize their interior into systems of interacting membrane-bound organelles. In this talk we will explore two organelles that form extensive networked architectures spanning across the cell: mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). While functionally distinct, both of these organelles give rise to fundamental physical questions: How are network structures formed and maintained? How do the morphology and dynamics of these organelles allow them to facilitate transport throughout the cell? We will show that the peripheral ER can be approximated as a `liquid network' whose dynamic rearrangements are driven by tension and tubular growth. Mitochondria, by contrast, undergo fusion and fission to form morphologies ranging from highly fragmented `social' networks to highly branched tubular structures. Using dynamic network models, we explore the rate of material transport in different mitochondrial network structures and in the interconnected tubular mesh of the ER, highlighting the key physical features that govern the rate of dispersion and delivery. Along the way, we will see how emergent complex structures in living cells motivate new questions in network physics, and how a physical perspective on transport illuminates biological function. 

Bio:

Elena Koslover is a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego. She obtained her undergraduate degrees in biology and mathematics at the California Institute of Technology, an MPhil in chemistry from the University of Cambridge, and her PhD in biophysics at Stanford University, where she worked on modeling genome mechanics and intracellular fluid dynamics. Her research group uses theoretical and computational techniques, together with analysis of quantitative data provided by collaborating groups, to understand how the morphology and organization of cellular structures determine the spatiotemporal distribution of cell components and the kinetics of their interactions.

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Add to Calendar 2025-03-27T16:00:00 2025-03-27T17:00:00 Tunneling through the Cell: Structure and Transport in Organelle Networks Event Information: Abstract: Living cells organize their interior into systems of interacting membrane-bound organelles. In this talk we will explore two organelles that form extensive networked architectures spanning across the cell: mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). While functionally distinct, both of these organelles give rise to fundamental physical questions: How are network structures formed and maintained? How do the morphology and dynamics of these organelles allow them to facilitate transport throughout the cell? We will show that the peripheral ER can be approximated as a `liquid network' whose dynamic rearrangements are driven by tension and tubular growth. Mitochondria, by contrast, undergo fusion and fission to form morphologies ranging from highly fragmented `social' networks to highly branched tubular structures. Using dynamic network models, we explore the rate of material transport in different mitochondrial network structures and in the interconnected tubular mesh of the ER, highlighting the key physical features that govern the rate of dispersion and delivery. Along the way, we will see how emergent complex structures in living cells motivate new questions in network physics, and how a physical perspective on transport illuminates biological function.  Bio: Elena Koslover is a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego. She obtained her undergraduate degrees in biology and mathematics at the California Institute of Technology, an MPhil in chemistry from the University of Cambridge, and her PhD in biophysics at Stanford University, where she worked on modeling genome mechanics and intracellular fluid dynamics. Her research group uses theoretical and computational techniques, together with analysis of quantitative data provided by collaborating groups, to understand how the morphology and organization of cellular structures determine the spatiotemporal distribution of cell components and the kinetics of their interactions. Learn More: See Lena's faculty profile page here: Elena Koslover | UCSD Profiles Read about the Koslover Group here: Koslover Group - UCSD About organelles: Organelles - Definition, List, and Functions About Genome mechanics: DNA Mechanics | Annual Reviews About intracellular fluid dynamics: Physiology, Body Fluids - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf   Event Location: HENN 201