Title: Poster: Collective contractility through strain-dependent self-organization of cells on an elastic network

Cellular self-organization in the extracellular matrix (ECM) is fundamental to tissue development and repair. In this computational study, we explore how contractile cells, such as fibroblasts, move on a fibrous ECM, modeled as an elastic network of connected springs on a triangular lattice. In our model, each cell actively generates isotropic, contractile forces that deform the network, which in turn affects the migration of another cell. Based on the observation that cells migrate preferentially toward regions of higher ECM stiffness, we allow the cell to move to neighboring nodes using hopping rates that depend on the strain in the connecting spring. This leads to self-organized correlated patterns of cell organization. As multiple cells exert forces on the ECM, their collective contractility drives large-scale deformations, enhancing the overall contractility of the network. This collective behavior arises from grouping between cells, where local strain generated by one cell constructively builds on that of neighboring cells. The emergent, strain-mediated coordination is expected to lead to spatial patterns of cell distribution and matrix remodeling which can be incorporated through addition or deletion of springs. These findings suggest that strain-regulated cell migration and collective contractility of the ECM are crucial for the self-organization of cellular assemblies in biological tissues.