Motile cilia are appendages that extend into extracellular space where they undulate to generate directed fluid flow across the cell surface. Motile cilia are deeply conserved from unicellular organisms, such as algae and protists, through mammals. Collectively, motile cilia function is essential for motility, feeding, and reproduction on land and in water. Generation of fluid flow by motile cilia requires the precise coordination of a number of essential factors: 1) The waveform and dynamics of individual cilia, 2) the positioning of cilia around an organism or within a ciliary array, 3) basal and hydrodynamic coupling of neighbouring cilia, and 4) biochemical control of cilia. Understanding how these factors intersect and contribute to the generation of directed fluid flow provides a unique opportunity to ask interdisciplinary questions that span molecular and cell biology, genetics, fluid dynamics and mathematics.
Movement of extracellular fluid by motile cilia is a complex process. There are many factors involved that must be coordinated in space and time to achieve the desired output. The types of questions that come to light when studying motile cilia and their biological function are of interest to many different scientific disciplines from structural biology to cellular biology to physics. We would like to explore the concept of motile cilia generated fluid flow from multiple angles by bringing together a wide range of scientists from diverse scientific disciplines, as well as insights from a broad spectrum of study organisms ranging from single cells to mammals. Our goal is to synthesize in one thematic issue the great work being done on this topic and in doing so foster the community by bringing together scientists who might not typically cross paths.
The goal of our collection is to demonstrate how contemporary research into the dynamics of cilia can provide fundamental new insights into the coordination and regulation of complex ciliary activity. In particular, we shall seek universal biophysical processes or mechanisms that prevail across scales, but also highlight differences that exist between different organisms. We will stimulate interdisciplinary discussion by focusing on these core areas:
1. The ciliary waveform and 3D beat pattern - How does ciliary bending contribute to force generation?
2. Cilia positioning - How does the geometric arrangement of cilia across the cell surface impact fluid flow?
3. Physical mechanisms of interciliary coupling, including Basal and hydrodynamic coupling - How do molecular linkages between the base of cilia and fluid flow from nearby cilia coordinate cilia movement?
4. Chemical coordination of cilia - How do secreted factors coordinate cilia movement?
All types of article accepted within the Section will be considered
Motile cilia are appendages that extend into extracellular space where they undulate to generate directed fluid flow across the cell surface. Motile cilia are deeply conserved from unicellular organisms, such as algae and protists, through mammals. Collectively, motile cilia function is essential for motility, feeding, and reproduction on land and in water. Generation of fluid flow by motile cilia requires the precise coordination of a number of essential factors: 1) The waveform and dynamics of individual cilia, 2) the positioning of cilia around an organism or within a ciliary array, 3) basal and hydrodynamic coupling of neighbouring cilia, and 4) biochemical control of cilia. Understanding how these factors intersect and contribute to the generation of directed fluid flow provides a unique opportunity to ask interdisciplinary questions that span molecular and cell biology, genetics, fluid dynamics and mathematics.
Movement of extracellular fluid by motile cilia is a complex process. There are many factors involved that must be coordinated in space and time to achieve the desired output. The types of questions that come to light when studying motile cilia and their biological function are of interest to many different scientific disciplines from structural biology to cellular biology to physics. We would like to explore the concept of motile cilia generated fluid flow from multiple angles by bringing together a wide range of scientists from diverse scientific disciplines, as well as insights from a broad spectrum of study organisms ranging from single cells to mammals. Our goal is to synthesize in one thematic issue the great work being done on this topic and in doing so foster the community by bringing together scientists who might not typically cross paths.
The goal of our collection is to demonstrate how contemporary research into the dynamics of cilia can provide fundamental new insights into the coordination and regulation of complex ciliary activity. In particular, we shall seek universal biophysical processes or mechanisms that prevail across scales, but also highlight differences that exist between different organisms. We will stimulate interdisciplinary discussion by focusing on these core areas:
1. The ciliary waveform and 3D beat pattern - How does ciliary bending contribute to force generation?
2. Cilia positioning - How does the geometric arrangement of cilia across the cell surface impact fluid flow?
3. Physical mechanisms of interciliary coupling, including Basal and hydrodynamic coupling - How do molecular linkages between the base of cilia and fluid flow from nearby cilia coordinate cilia movement?
4. Chemical coordination of cilia - How do secreted factors coordinate cilia movement?
All types of article accepted within the Section will be considered