Numerical simulations of intracellular membranes of high genus

Bilayer membranes within eukaryotic cells adopt dynamic geometries of extraordinary complexity and interdependency. Examples include the continuous vesicular traffic of the endocytic and secretory pathways, the layers of the Golgi apparatus, the inner membranes of mitochondria, and the sheets, tubes, and, indeed, the nuclear envelope itself, comprising the endoplasmic reticulum. Some of these have topological genus zero (or near zero) while others have very high genus.

We use a coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) model to study the mechanics of intracellular membranes with complicated geometries. In particular, we investigate the behavior of pores in sheets, and how junctions of sheets organize and interact.