Date of Award
12-24-2025
Date Published
January 2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Physics
Advisor(s)
Jennifer Ross
Keywords
Actin;Biomaterials;Intracellular transport;Kinesin;Microtubules;Networks
Subject Categories
Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology | Biophysics | Life Sciences
Abstract
Curiosity drives our quest for discovery, enabling us to grasp phenomena from the respiration of leaves to the healing of wounds. This understanding requires a blend of insights from biology, physics, and chemistry, and expands as we exchange our findings. A pivotal inquiry in cell biology revolves around the consistent success of cellular functions. Cells exhibit diverse organizational structures, with the cytoskeleton serving as the supportive framework that accommodates these variations. In this thesis, we investigate how the density of the cytoskeleton influences cellular functions, with a specific emphasis on cargo transport. Since transport is crucial for all cell types, we inquired about how changes in the microtubule network, one of the main cytoskeletal proteins that act as tracks for transport, affect transport characteristics. Expanding on this idea, we studied how introducing dynamics to the microtubules modifies cargo movement in changing environments. Our results indicate that run length, which is the overall distance cargo travels, is influenced by microtubule density and microtubule length. This phenomenon also varies with the number of motors attached to the cargo. Given that the cytoskeleton constitutes the cell's backbone, it represents an important element for the design of biomaterials. To achieve this, we integrate bacteria into cytoskeletal networks to produce self-activating materials. Our results demonstrate that the combination of flexible actin and rigid microtubule filaments creates a suitable scaffold for bacterial integration because it supports bacterial proliferation as well as cytoskeletal assembly. This holds significant promise for innovative technologies in engineering living systems.
Access
Open Access
Recommended Citation
Krishnan, Nimisha, "CARGO TRANSPORT AND MATERIAL PROPERTIES IN MICROTUBULE NETWORKS THROUGH THE ROLES OF MESH SIZE, CROSSLINKING, AND DYNAMICS" (2025). Dissertations - ALL. 2251.
https://surface.syr.edu/etd/2251
