Surface stress, strain of biological systems focus of 2015 Talbot Lecture

3/24/2015 Julia Cation

Assistant professors Alison Dunn and Randy Ewoldt hosted Professor Gerald G. Fuller (center) for the 2015 Arthur Newell Talbot Lecture.MechSE hosted the 2015 Arthur Newell Talbot Distinguished Lecture March 19, 2015, at the NCSA auditorium.

Written by Julia Cation

Assistant professors Alison Dunn and Randy Ewoldt hosted Professor Gerald G. Fuller (center) for the 2015 Arthur Newell Talbot Lecture.
Assistant professors Alison Dunn and Randy Ewoldt hosted Professor Gerald G. Fuller (center) for the 2015 Arthur Newell Talbot Lecture.
Assistant professors Alison Dunn and Randy Ewoldt hosted Professor Gerald G. Fuller (center) for the 2015 Arthur Newell Talbot Lecture.
MechSE hosted the 2015 Arthur Newell Talbot Distinguished Lecture March 19, 2015, at the NCSA auditorium.

Gerald G. Fuller, Fletcher Jones Professor of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, spoke on “The Dynamics of Two Biological Interfaces.”

The abstract for his lecture stated: “Biological systems are normally high-interface systems and these surfaces are laden with biological molecules and cells that render them mechanically complex. The resulting nonlinearities with response to surface stresses and strain are often essential to their proper function and these are explored using recently developed methods that reveal an intricate interplay between applied stress and dynamic response. Two applications are discussed.

1. Vascular endothelial cells are nature's "rheologists" and line the interior walls of our blood vessels and are sensitive to surface shear stresses. These stresses are known to affect the shape and orientation of endothelial cells. It is evident that the spatial homogeneity of flow can affect vascular health and it is well-documented that lesions form in regions of high curvature, bifurcations, and asperities in blood vessels. Experiments are described where stagnation point flows are used to create regions of well controlled flow stagnation and spatial variation of wall shear stresses. Live-cell imaging is used to monitor the fate of cells attached to surfaces experiencing flow impingement and it is revealed that endothelial cells migrate and orient in such flows to create remarkable patterns of orientation and cell densification. This response, termed "rheotaxis," is used to explore mechano-transduction pathways within these cells.

2. The tear film of the eye is a composite structure of an aqueous solution of protein and biomacromolecules. This thin layer is further covered by a film comprised of meibomian lipids excreted during each blink. The purpose of the meibum has been largely unexplained although one prevailing suggestion is that it suppresses evaporation. Recent measurements in our laboratory demonstrate that this layer is strongly viscoelastic and this property has dramatic effects on the dynamics of the moving contact line and stability against dewetting."

"In reading about Professor Talbot - when I get in a railway car or appreciate the fact that we have reinforced concrete in our buildings - these are some of his seminal contributions. He was a great model, scholar, and educator. I'm pleased to be associated with his name, and I thank you very much for this honor," said Fuller.

Fuller joined Stanford in 1980 following graduate work at Caltech, where he earned his MS and PhD degrees. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Calgary, Canada. Fuller's interests lie in studies of rheology and interfacial fluid mechanics. His work has been recognized with receipt of the Bingham Medal of The Society of Rheology, membership in the National Academy of Engineering, and honorary doctorates from the Universities of Crete, Greece, and Leuven, Belgium.

Arthur Newell Talbot was named Professor of Municipal and Sanitary Engineering in charge of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics at Illinois until 1926, and regarded teaching as the most important aspect of his work at the university. The Arthur Newell Talbot Distinguished Lecture is made possible through the support of the Talbot family, in honor of their ancestor’s commitment to learning and teaching.


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This story was published March 24, 2015.