Tamara Bidone

Email: tamarabi@mit.edu

Focus group: Simulation and Modeling

Department: Department of Mechanics, Politecnico di Torino, Italy

Hometown: Torino, Italy

Undergrad: Polytechnic of Turin, Italy

Research summary:

I'm involved in the computational multiscale modeling of actin filaments and actin assemblies. At the molecular level of description, I'm focused on the interactions among monomers along the actin filament, pointing out what specific residues rearrangments and in what particular regions of the actin filament are able to induce changes in the mechanics of the protein. At the microscale, I investigate the changes in mechanical properties of active actin networks as a response to variations of stifness of the extra-cellular matrix. Always at the microscale, I investigate the mechanisms of formation of different actin assemblies, their morphological and mechanical properties, with enphasis on stress fibers and fochal adhesions. Upcoming studies will also address the properties of actin asters.

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