Nonequilibrium dissipation in living oocytes

TL;DR

This study combines theoretical modeling and experimental microrheology to quantify energy dissipation in living oocytes, revealing insights into their nonequilibrium dynamics and active fluctuations.

Contribution

It introduces a minimal microscopic model incorporating complex rheology and stochastic forces, validated by experimental measurements of energy dissipation in living cells.

Findings

Model accurately predicts energy dissipation spectra.

Experimental data confirms the model's validity.

Provides estimates for energy injection and dissipation scales.

Abstract

Living organisms are inherently out-of-equilibrium systems. We employ new developments in stochastic energetics and rely on a minimal microscopic model to predict the amount of mechanical energy dissipated by such dynamics. Our model includes complex rheological effects and nonequilibrium stochastic forces. By performing active microrheology and tracking micron-sized vesicles in the cytoplasm of living oocytes, we provide unprecedented measurements of the spectrum of dissipated energy. We show that our model is fully consistent with the experimental data, and we use it to offer predictions for the injection and dissipation energy scales involved in active fluctuations.