Polar Fluctuations Lead to Extensile Nematic Behavior in Confluent Tissues

Explore a one-hour seminar presentation by Dr. Chiu Fan Lee from Imperial College London examining how polar fluctuations influence extensile nematic behavior in confluent tissues. Delve into the fascinating paradox of how motile cells, which individually generate contractile nematic stresses, collectively create extensile nematic behavior at the tissue level. Learn about analytical theories based on hydrodynamic descriptions of confluent tissues in both liquid and solid states, and discover how microscopic constituents without inherent nematic extensile forces can display active extensile nematic behavior when subjected to polar fluctuating forces. Gain insights into this fundamental aspect of soft matter and many-body physics that has significant implications for understanding diverse biological processes.