Imposing Mechanical Perturbations on the Immune Synapse – IMPerIS

Several cell types communicate with each other through a signaling platform (called synapse) that allows passage of molecules and signals. In particular, B cells form an immune synapse with cells exposing antigens at their surface. Formation of the synapse is critical in order to mechanically extract the antigen and to trigger further antibody production. We hypothesize that the structure of the synapse and the forces generated therein are essential for its mechanical stability in the physiological conditions of the lymph node, whereby the synapse is perturbed by external flows and non-specific cell-cell interactions. We will test this hypothesis by (1)measuring these perturbations in the lymph node, (2) characterizing the morphology, mechanics, and functionality of the synapse under perturbing hydrodynamics flow in microfluidic chips, and (3) by interpreting the results in the context of active matter theory.