Neurons are elastics by A. Hamraoui – MCU Université Paris Cité

a. Brillouin life time in the neuron. b. Fluorescence mapping. c. Brillouin frequency cell response. © Tous droits réservés

Optical image of the cell

Axon growth after injury or trauma depends on a large number of parameters. The correlation between these repair mechanisms and the elastic response of the environment and of the cells themselves is often evoked, but remains difficult to quantify. Researchers at INSP, in collaboration with LCMCP and SPPIN, have nevertheless taken a crucial step towards this goal by quantifying, on a micrometric scale, the elastic inhomogeneities at the very core of the neuron.

doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2020.12.021
doi.org/10.1063/1.5129783
dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.18.034051