Peter Salovey President | Yale University
Peter Salovey President | Yale University
Living systems are characterized by a continuous flow of energy, crucial for physical development, wound healing, and our immune response to diseases such as cancer. However, the measurement of energy flow in a specific process like force generation is complicated due to the interaction of over 10,000 different types of molecular proteins inside each of our cells.
Scientists at Yale’s Systems Biology Institute have developed an artificial cell that allows for precise measurement of energy consumption and force generation in our cells. The research was conducted in the lab of Michael Murrell, associate professor of Biomedical Engineering and Physics, and has been published in Nature Communications.
The artificial cells contain key proteins responsible for cell force generation. These include a cytoskeleton that acts similarly to bones and muscles in the human body, wrapped in an outer membrane.
The findings revealed that the amount of energy consumed varies with different morphological features. For instance, cells with thicker cytoskeletons consumed less energy than cells with branch-like architecture. Additionally, longer cytoskeletons exerted increased force.
Unraveling these principles of energy consumption will enhance our understanding of biological organization. This knowledge underlies various cellular processes including cancer progression. Ryota Sakamoto, a postdoctoral fellow in the Murrell Lab, was the first author of this study.
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