SysVert: a new package for modelling tissues using vertex model

ALBERTO SEBASTIÁN CECCARELLI; AUGUSTO BORGES; EMANUEL CURA COSTA; HUGO ARIEL ALVAREZ; VANESSA VIDAL; OSVALDO CHARA

La Plata

Congreso; XLVII Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Biofísica; 2018

Sociedad Argentina de Biofísica

Dynamical and structural aspects of tissues are crucial, from a biological and medical point of view, duringdevelopment and regeneration. During these stages in which a mechanical and signaling processes appear in thesystem, a quantitative approach is needed to fully understand them. Discrete mathematical models such asagents models give a high temporal and spatial resolution. Vertex model is one of these approaches. In thismodel each cell is modeled as a polygon and the dynamical evolution of the system is governed by theinteractions between the vertices. Here we present an Open Source 2D vertex model in Python which wasdesigned to be user friendly to allow a dynamical feedback between developers and users, which in turn leads tonew features and improvements. SysVert is able to simulate tissues in different conditions. For example, theuser may define different cell types within a tissue as well as different rules for cell proliferation, apoptosis ortopological rearrangements. It is also possible to define chemical signals, such as morphogens, which caninteract with the cells, allowing multi-scaling systems biology strategies.