Manuel Théry est un biophysicien qui travaille sur la manière dont les cellules organisent leur architecture interne, en particulier le cytosquelette et la polarité des cellules souches. Son travail au CytoMorphoLab du CEA-Irig combine la physique et la biologie pour décrypter les principes fondamentaux du vivant et vise à construire la première cellule artificielle capable de polarisation.
🕧 Vendredi 17/04/2026 à 11h30 | Amphi 12
🧫 From Morphogenesis to space partitioning by microtubules and motors
Résumé (en anglais) :
In cells, microtubules are well known for supporting the directed transport of vesicles during interphase and chromosomes during mitosis. However, they are not just tracks for transport; they can also be moved by the forces exerted by molecular motors.
In this presentation, I will demonstrate how the interplay between moving microtubules and transported motors can result in the emergence of regular shapes from random mixtures (ie morphogenesis). I will further explain how these shapes are maintained in dynamic steady-states by active and polar boundaries. I will also explore the plasticity and adaptation of these active boundaries to geometric constraints, as show how they can polarise or bipolarise a confined space. Finally, I will discuss the relevance of this process to intracellular organisation.
