Biophysical Modeling Group Meeting

 Speaker: Amin Kolahdouz, Associate Research Scientist

Topic:   On cytoplasmic transport through the ring canals during Drosophila mid-oogenesis

Oocyte growth during Drosophila oogenesis is mainly dependent on the contribution of cytoplasmic contents from the interconnected sister cells (nurse cells). Little attention has been paid, however, to the onset of fast cytoplasmic transport through ring canals that connect the oocyte to nurse cells. In this talk, I will share some of the most recent findings from the world of cellular and developmental biology regarding the cytoplasmic transfer mechanisms that are essential for oocyte growth and egg development. I will also present some preliminary calculations that can shed light on better understanding the nature of transport through the ring canals and lay out directions for developing continuum models to study the resulting intercellular fluid-structure interaction problem.