𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆?

We have just published a new paper in Next Research that challenges  the long-held assumption that gravitational forces are negligible at the cellular scale. By studying the amoeboid model organism Dictyostelium discoideum, we found that the physical orientation of a surface fundamentally alters cell kinematics.
Here are the key takeaways from our research:

• Eukaryotic cells generally possess a higher density than their surrounding aqueous medium.
• This density difference creates a net gravitational force that either presses the cell into a substrate or pulls it away.
• Cells moving on the upper surface of a glass substrate were found to migrate faster and have a larger projected spreading area than those underneath.
• Both excessively weak and excessively strong net forces between the cell and substrate significantly hinder movement.

Check out the full open-access paper here.