Bioengineer Researchers Discover New Type of Cell Communication

by William Brown, Resonance Science Foundation Biophysicist

Collective intercellular communication through ultra-fast hydrodynamic trigger waves:

Researchers studying one of the longest single cell organisms—Spirostomum ambiguum—which can grow up to lengths of 4mm (a unicellular organism observable to the naked eye) have discovered that it is also one of the fastest cells ever documented. The gargantuan protist can contract its long body by 60% within milliseconds, experiencing an acceleration force of up to 14g.

The contractile behavior protects the unicellular organism from would-be predators, as small vacuoles along the cellular membrane containing toxins are dispersed when undergoing the extreme g forces of the contraction. Remarkably, researchers have discovered that the contractions also generate long-ranged vortex flows that function as hydrodynamic signals to other Spirostomum.

This is the first time that hydrodynamic cellular signaling has been documented, and opens the door to investigating other instances where cells are communicating via long-range vorticular hydrodynamic signals.

Related article: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/428573v1

   
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