Directed cell motility is a process whereby the motility machinery of the cell (involving the interaction of the biopolymer actin with myosin motor molecules) is organized spatially so as to cause motion in a preferred direction. In the single-celled Dictyostelium amoeba, this occurs as the cell responds to cAMP signal gradients during an aggregation process that allows the cell to survive under starvation. This lecture will focus on understanding how physics can help decipher the mechanisms underlying this capability of eukaryotic cells. In particular, we will show how statistical physics, nonlinear processes and multiphase fluid dynamics provide concepts and techniques for working towards a quantitative understanding of this critical cellular function.
