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Figure 1: Differences between regular soft matter and cellular clusters
Figure 2: Vertex model simulation of coalescence between cellular clusters
Coalescence of Cellular Clusters
Coalescence or fusion of cellular clusters is essential in embryonic development and tissue engineering. Previous works in this field often use a highly approximate theory of viscous sintering from the '40s as the basis for measurement and comparison.
However, there are numerous unique features that distinguish cellular aggregates from other squishy soft matter systems, as shown in Fig. 1 . For example, will the unique interactions independent of distance but dependent on neighboring relations, which can be simulated with the vertex model (Fig. 3) or Voronoi model, influence the dynamics of coalescence? We need new theories for cellular clusters!
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