Figures
Cup formation on a phagocyte membrane during particle engulfment
This image illustrates cup formation on a phagocyte membrane during particle engulfment. Our modelling shows that membrane tension, a key but often overlooked physical factor, strongly influences phagocytic progression and can explain frustrated phagocytosis observed experimentally. We further show that biochemical signaling feeds back on membrane mechanics to reshape engulfment dynamics and enhance particle capture. These findings highlight the interplay between mechanics and signaling in phagocytosis, with implications for immunity, cell migration, and drug delivery. Shadmani et al. 2026
Image Credit: Peyman Shadmani and Behzad Mehrafrooz
Citation: (2026) PLoS Computational Biology Issue Image | Vol. 22(4) May 2026. PLoS Comput Biol 22(4): ev22.i04. https://doi.org/10.1371/image.pcbi.v22.i04
Published: May 7, 2026
Copyright: © 2026 . This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
This image illustrates cup formation on a phagocyte membrane during particle engulfment. Our modelling shows that membrane tension, a key but often overlooked physical factor, strongly influences phagocytic progression and can explain frustrated phagocytosis observed experimentally. We further show that biochemical signaling feeds back on membrane mechanics to reshape engulfment dynamics and enhance particle capture. These findings highlight the interplay between mechanics and signaling in phagocytosis, with implications for immunity, cell migration, and drug delivery. Shadmani et al. 2026
Image Credit: Peyman Shadmani and Behzad Mehrafrooz