Investigating active dynamics of contractile actomyosin gels with Micro Particle Image Velocimetry (Micro-PIV) analysis

Investigating active dynamics of contractile actomyosin gels with Micro Particle Image Velocimetry (Micro-PIV) analysis | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Investigating active dynamics of contractile actomyosin gels with Micro Particle Image Velocimetry (Micro-PIV) analysis Sakshi Choudhary, Subhaya Bose, Yuval Amit, Daniel Sevilla Sanchez, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7299411/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 16 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Micro Particle Image Velocimetry (Micro-PIV), an advanced imaging technique, enables high-resolution velocity field measurements by tracking fluorescent tracers in microscopic environments. Here, we adapt conventional micro-PIV to study the rapidly contractile dynamics of active poroelastic gels. We demonstrate how frame-to-frame correlation improves signal-to-noise ratios and how the elastic nature of the solid phase of the gel can be included in the analysis. To do this, we average the gel displacement data under an axisymmetric assumption to extract radial strain profiles that reliably reveal local deformations of the gel. By analyzing gels of varying shapes, we further show that our method extends robustly to gels that are not completely circular or that do not displace symmetrically towards their geometric center. The analysis reveals common underlying features in the radial profiles of gel deformation. These strain profiles will allow the inference of the spatial and orientational distribution of motor-generated active stresses with appropriate constitutive models for the gel mechanics. Our findings emphasize the importance of tailored micro-PIV methodologies for analyzing complex fluids, particularly autonomously contracting poroelastic materials. This approach significantly enhances understanding of cytoskeletal dynamics and self-organization processes, with broad implications for cell motility, morphogenesis, and active matter physics. Biological sciences/Biological techniques Biological sciences/Biophysics Physical sciences/Engineering Physical sciences/Materials science Physical sciences/Physics Particle Image Velocimetry Micro Particle Image Velocimetry Active gels Cytoskeleton Complex fluid dynamics Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files ChoudharySupplementaryInformation.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 30 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 26 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 22 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 09 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 08 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 07 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Sep, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 04 Sep, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 11 Aug, 2025 Editor invited by journal 08 Aug, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 07 Aug, 2025 First submitted to journal 07 Aug, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7299411","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":512495968,"identity":"06e40590-f5f3-4a15-b38a-b749ed75e10f","order_by":0,"name":"Sakshi Choudhary","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Ben-Gurion University of the Negev","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sakshi","middleName":"","lastName":"Choudhary","suffix":""},{"id":512495969,"identity":"15a8cd47-0e98-4bee-b23e-647bb39cb36c","order_by":1,"name":"Subhaya Bose","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of 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