Computational Modeling of Coupled Interactions of Fluid Membranes with Embedded Filaments

Abstract: In this work, we present a computational formulation based on continuum mechanics to study the interaction of fluid membranes embedded with semiflexible filaments. This is motivated by systems in membrane biology, such as cytoskeletal networks and protein filaments aiding the cell fission process. We model the membrane as a fluid shell via the Helfrich-Canham energy and the filament as a one-dimensional Cosserat continuum. We assume the filament to be tethered to the surface of the membrane in a way that it is allowed to float on the surface freely. The novel filament-membrane coupling, which is anticipated to yield interesting physics, also gives rise to unique computational challenges, which we address in this work. We present validation results and apply the formulation to certain problems inspired by cellular biology.