Cole Allan

T Cells Tear Apart Confining Extracellular Matrix Via a Breaststroke-like Motion to Generate Migration Paths

This study shows T cells generate migration paths in confining ECMs by tearing them apart with breaststroke-like motion, finding that shear strength, not stiffness or pore size, correlates with migration.

Substrate stress relaxation regulates monolayer fluidity and leader cell formation for collectively migrating epithelia.

This study shows that epithelial monolayers migrate faster on viscoelastic substrates with slower stress relaxation, due to increased fluidity and leader cell formation.

Signatures of structural disorder in developing epithelial tissues

The paper investigates structural disorder in Drosophila germband epithelium during body axis elongation, showing that both internal and external stresses contribute to disorder and that disorder levels reflect physical or biological limits.

Optogenetic dissection of actomyosin-dependent mechanics underlying tissue fluidity

This study uses optogenetic tools to manipulate actomyosin contractility in Drosophila germband epithelium, revealing how Rho1 signaling affects cell rearrangements, tissue tensions, and mechanical properties during tissue flow.

Using optogenetics to link myosin patterns to contractile cell behaviors during convergent extension

This paper uses optogenetics to manipulate Rho1 signaling in Drosophila embryos, showing how changes in myosin patterns affect cell behaviors and tissue shape during convergent extension.