Physics and Physiology of Motile Cilia

Across the animal and plant kingdom, motile cilia and flagella serve many important biological functions, including cellular propulsion, fluid transport, and sensory signaling – to name only a few. Unravelling the physiology of these integral cell organelles is an interdisciplinary endeavor at the interface of physics and biology. This research field involves studies of ciliary structure, self-organized dynamics of the ciliary beat, collective dynamics at the cellular and multicellular level, and the pathophysiology of impaired cilia function in ciliopathies. The aim of this seminar is to bring together scientists from different disciplines to address the physical, biological, and medical aspects of motile cilia.

The main topics of the seminar are:

• Ciliopathies
• Structure and assembly of cilia
• Motor control in the axoneme
• Flagellar hydrodynamics
• Navigation of ciliated swimmers
• Flagellar synchronization
• Collective dynamics
• Cilia as signaling centers

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