The emergence of liquid-crystalline features is increasingly realised in different cell mono- layers. Here, we present a cell-based model of cell layer, based on phasefield formulation, that connects mechanical properties at the single cell level to the multiscale nematic and hydrodynamic properties at the tissue level. In particular, we present a minimal formulation that reproduces the well-known bend-splay hydrodynamic instabilities in the continuum nematohydrodynamic formulation of active matter, which is complemented by analytical description of the instability threshold in terms of activity and elasticity of the cells. Furthermore, we provide a quantitative characterisation and comparison of flows and topological defects for extensile and contractile stress generation mechanisms, and demonstrate the emergence of spontaneous gap formation within a confluent monolayer as a consequence of the interplay between activity and elasticity of the cells. Together, the results contribute to bridging the gap between micro-scale cell dynamics and tissue-scale collective cellular organisation.
By Richard Bailleul
By Florence Hubert
By Pierre-Emmanuel Jabin
By Markus Schmidtchen
By Camille Pouchol
By Monika Joanna Piotrowska
By Annabelle Collin
By Sébastien Benzekry
By Jose Munoz
By Pasquale Ciarletta
By Olivier Saut
By Anna Marciniak-Czochra
By Aleksandra Ardaseva
By Kevin Painter
By Nadia Loy
By Min Tang
By Christian Schmeiser
By Thierry Goudon
By Ariane Trescases
By Monica Colpi
By Albert Schwarz
