Structure Formation in Microtubule Networks (Summer 2009)
Cells require complex internal networks to manage intracellular transport. So far, the mechanisms that make possible bi-directional transport while avoiding traffic jams are poorly understood. We believe the dynamics of the network itself might be the key to enabling well-behaved bi-directional transport. I worked in the Statistical Physics of Nonequilibrium and Disordered Systems group in the Department of Theoretical Physics at Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany, part of the graduate school in Structure Formation and Transport in Complex Systems. In particular, I simulated the dynamics and self organization of a network of microtubules in axons using statistical mechanics simulations. Once a good model of the network structure formation and dynamics exists, we can plug in existing models that simulate transport on the network. We hope this will shed light on how and why traffic jams form, and ultimately help identify the origin of certain neurodegenerative diseases.