P. Rangamani

Liquid-like condensates that bind actin drive filament polymerization and bundling

The paper shows that actin-binding proteins forming liquid-like condensates can polymerize and bundle actin filaments, expanding the known set of proteins capable of this function.

Dynamic mechanisms for membrane skeleton transitions

This paper develops a network model of the membrane skeleton integrating myosin and membrane mechanics to show that membrane bending and spectrin/myosin turnover are critical for maintaining structural stability under mechanical stress.

Interplay between cortical adhesion and membrane bending regulates microparticle formation

This paper develops a biophysical model to study how cortical adhesion and membrane bending interact to regulate microparticle formation and identifies key factors influencing this process.

Liquid-like condensates mediate competition between actin branching and bundling

This study shows that liquid-like condensates containing both actin branching and bundling proteins can modulate the competition between these processes, leading to organized actin structures similar to those in migrating cells.

Cell motility modes are selected by the interplay of mechanosensitive adhesion and membrane tension

This paper extends a 1D model of cell motility to 2D, showing that the interplay between mechanosensitive adhesions and membrane tension can lead to different motility modes like gliding and zigzagging.

Effective cell membrane tension protects red blood cells against malaria invasion

This study uses a theoretical model to show that effective RBC membrane tension creates a barrier against malaria invasion by influencing membrane wrapping and cytoskeleton deformation.

Kinetic trapping organizes actin filaments within liquid-like protein droplets

This study uses computational modeling and experiments to show that kinetic trapping of actin filaments in VASP droplets leads to different network architectures like shells and rings.

Cristae formation is a mechanical buckling event controlled by the inner membrane lipidome

The paper shows that cardiolipin buffers mitochondrial inner membrane curvature and ATP synthase organization, with a mathematical model predicting snapthrough instability in cristae formation.

Mechanically induced topological transition of spectrin regulates its distribution in the mammalian cortex

This study shows spectrin in mammalian cells can transition between different topological structures under mechanical stress, adapting to protect the cell cortex.

The ins and outs of membrane bending by intrinsically disordered proteins

This study investigates how intrinsically disordered proteins with both repulsive and attractive domains influence membrane curvature based on domain positioning and ionic strength.

Biophysical modeling of actin-mediated structural plasticity reveals mechanical adaptation in dendritic spines

The paper develops a 3D biophysical model to study how actin remodeling and mechanical forces influence dendritic spine enlargement during long-term potentiation.

Mitochondria morphology governs ATP production rate

This study presents a thermodynamically consistent model of mitochondrial ATP production, showing that ATP production, not export, is the limiting step and linking cytosolic ATP rates to mitochondrial morphology.

Formation of protein-mediated tubes is governed by a snapthrough transition

The paper models protein-mediated tube formation using a mathematical framework, showing that tube length undergoes a snapthrough instability dependent on parameters like coat area and curvature.

Modeling membrane curvature generation using mechanics and machine learning

The paper uses the Helfrich model to generate synthetic data and trains machine learning models to classify membrane behavior and predict shape from mechanical parameters.

Liquid-like assembly of VASP drives actin polymerization and bundling

This study shows VASP forms liquid-like droplets that drive actin polymerization and bundling by creating actin-rich rings that transition into linear bundles.

Mem3DG: Modeling Membrane Mechanochemical Dynamics in 3D using Discrete Differential Geometry

This paper introduces Mem3DG, a framework for modeling 3D membrane mechanochemical dynamics using discrete differential geometry, demonstrating its ability to simulate complex shape transformations and integrate additional physical phenomena.

Nanoscale organization of ryanodine receptor distribution and phosphorylation pattern determines the dynamics of calcium sparks

The paper uses computational modeling to show that RyR cluster geometry and phosphorylation patterns affect Ca2+ spark dynamics in heart failure.

Actin force generation in vesicle formation: mechanistic insights from cryo-electron tomography

The paper uses cryo-electron tomography to study actin filament organization during clathrin-mediated endocytosis, revealing how actin dynamics generate pulling forces for vesicle formation.

Curvature-driven feedback on aggregation-diffusion of proteins in lipid bilayers

The paper develops a model that couples protein aggregation, diffusion, and membrane curvature to predict pattern formation on lipid bilayers.

Nanoscale organization of Actin Filaments in the Red Blood Cell Membrane Skeleton

This study investigates the nanoscale organization of F-actin nodes in red blood cell membranes using advanced microscopy and computational analysis, revealing non-uniform distribution and dynamic behavior.

Biomembranes undergo complex, non-axisymmetric deformations governed by Kirchhoff-Love kinematics and revealed by a three dimensional computational framework

The paper presents a 3D computational framework for modeling biomembrane deformations using Kirchhoff-Love kinematics, demonstrating its ability to capture non-axisymmetric deformations and symmetry-breaking behaviors.

Transport Phenomena in Fluid Films with Curvature Elasticity

The paper develops a theoretical framework coupling lipid flow, protein diffusion, and membrane curvature elasticity to study membrane dynamics.

Transfer function for YAP/TAZ nuclear translocation revealed through spatial systems modeling

This paper develops a spatial model to analyze how substrate stiffness, dimensionality, and cell shape influence YAP/TAZ nuclear translocation, revealing nonlinear effects and design principles for mechanotransduction.

Mechanical principles governing the shapes of dendritic spines

This study uses a biophysical model to explore mechanical principles governing dendritic spine shapes and their stability through actin structures and force regimes.

Cell shape regulates subcellular organelle location to control short-term Ca2+ signal dynamics in vascular smooth muscle cells

The paper shows how cell shape changes affect subcellular organelle positioning, altering Ca2+ signaling and phenotypic function in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Stability analysis of a signaling circuit with dual species of GTPase switches

This paper models a signaling circuit with dual GTPase species and identifies how coupling and feedback loops affect stability and steady-state behavior.

Local sensitivity analysis of the 'Membrane shape equation'derived from the Helfrich energy

The paper performs a local sensitivity analysis of the Helfrich energy model to study parameter influences on membrane shape formation.

Membrane bending by protein phase separation

This paper investigates how liquid-like protein assemblies on membranes drive membrane bending by creating compressive stress, leading to the formation of membrane tubules.

Spatially compartmentalized phase regulation of a Ca2+-cAMP-PKA oscillatory circuit

The paper shows that spatially distinct cAMP oscillations, in-phase with Ca2+ and out-of-phase with PKA, regulate signaling in pancreatic β cells through nanodomain clustering of adenylyl cyclases and phosphodiesterases.

An Open Source Mesh Generation Platform for Biophysical Modeling Using Realistic Cellular Geometries

The paper introduces GAMer 2, a mesh generation tool for converting structural biology data into geometric meshes suitable for biophysical modeling.