Rigidity transition and cell migration in biological tissues

(Phys.org)—Cell migration is an intrinsic feature of multicellular organisms, enabling such processes as embryo development, wound healing, and immune responses. These activities require cells to move freely within tissues. Eukaryotic organisms develop from densely layered tissue types, and the dynamics of cell migration within and between tissues are explored both biomechanically and as complex physics problems, not only to understand proper cell function, but also to illuminate the conse