Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 7: Poster Session I

BP 7.19: Poster

Monday, March 9, 2026, 15:00–17:00, P5

MatrixModel: Building a Computational Model of the HSPC niche — •Julia Käsehagen and Sophia Rudorf — Institute for Cell Biology and Biophysics, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Germany

Haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) rely on finely tuned adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins within the bone marrow niche to balance quiescence, self-renewal, and differentiation. As part of the research consortium Matrix Evolution [1], MatrixModel develops a multiscale computational framework to predict how ECM composition, architecture, and mechanics regulate HSPC behavior, including adhesion and motility. We implemented two pipelines to use and adapt models by other goups: (i) a mechanochemical ODE model of integrin-talin-vinculin adhesion dynamics (by Honasoge et al. [2]) and (ii) a hybrid Cellular-Potts-Bead-Spring model of ECM fiber networks (by Tsingos et al. [3]).

For (i), we will parameterize the ODE model for HSPCs to predict adhesion lifetimes and tractions per adhesion. In (ii), the Cellular-Potts-Model (CPM) governs HSPC shape and contract energies, while a nonlinear fiber network captures density, crosslinking, and anisotropy. Cell-fiber links inherit rate laws from results of the ODE model.

[1] https://www.cell.uni-hannover.de/en/research/main-research-areas/matrix-evolution

[2] Honasoge et al., 2023, PLoS Comput Biol.

[3] Tsingos et al., 2023, Biophysical Journal.

Keywords: Hematopoietic Stem Cells; Extracellular Matrix; Adhesion Dynamics; Computational Modeling