Invasive processes in the life cycle of plants and fungi

Kapoor K, Geitmann A (2021) In: Jensen K, Forterre Y (eds) Soft Matter in Plants: From Biophysics to Biomimetics. Royal Society of Chemistry

Plant cells such as pollen tubes, root hairs and fibers have the ability to invade substrates. Plants are also subject to invasion, for example by fungal hyphae. This review discusses the physics of the invasion process, the biological purpose and the underlying mechanism.

Microfluidics-based bioassays and imaging of plant cells

Yanagisawa N, Kozgunova E, Grossmann G, Geitmann A, Higashiyama T (2021) Plant and Cell Physiology, in press

The past decade has shown rapid adoption of microfluidics and MEMS-technology for research on tip growing cells. This article provides an overview of the nifty experimental designs and the challenges associated with this approach.

Cytoskeletal regulation of primary plant cell wall assembly

Chebli Y, Bidhendi AJ, Kapoor K, Geitmann A. (2021) Current Biology 31: R681-R695

The plant cell wall is assembled upon cell division and growth. The regulation of the delivery of cell wall components and of the assembly process proper relies with the cytoskeleton. In this review we summarize how the elements of the cytoskeleton-plasma membrane-cell wall continuum interact.

Live imaging of cellulose and pectin in walls of growing plant cells

Bidhendi AJ, Chebli Y, Geitmann A. (2021) Bulletin of the Microscopical Society of Canada 47(1): 14-17

Labeling polysaccharides in the living plant without interference with development and morphogenesis requires carefully adapted techniques. A summary of methods is provided in this Conference Proceeding, related to a full paper published in Journal of Microscopy.

Biomechanics of hair fibre growth:

a multi-scale modeling approach

Zamil MS, Harland DP, Fisher BK, Davis MG, Schwartz JR, Geitmann A. (2021) Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 148: 104290

We used finite element modeling to simulate the hair growth process and identify the forces that enables follicles to push the growing hair outside of the skin. We also identified the structures that enable a hair fibre to emerge from the skin while simultaneously being firmly anchored. More...