Award-winning stem cell research speeds discovery
Researchers from The University of Texas at Arlington have earned the 2025 Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics Best Paper Award for developing a technique that speeds up computer simulations used to predict how stem cells develop into specific cell types, particularly fat cells.
The paper, titled “Minimizing Computational Time for Long-Term Three-Dimensional Dynamic Simulation of Stem Cell Adipogenesis,” stems from research that began in 2012 by Alan Bowling, a professor of mechanical engineering, and Samarendra Mohanty, a former UTA physics faculty member.
“We started this work a long time ago, looking at nanoparticles moving in optical tweezers,” Dr. Bowling said. “To finally have our research produce something great and be recognized for it is fantastic.”
Bowling’s team, which includes Michael Cho, professor and chair of the Department of Bioengineering, and Hyejin Moon, associate professor of mechanical engineering, was funded by the National Institutes of Health. The researchers developed a faster way to simulate cell mechanics using a technique that models the movement of a cell’s contents. That movement affects stem cell differentiation, which has applications in tissue repair, regeneration and wound healing.
The simulation helps predict the initial conditions of a stem cell that will successfully differentiate into a desired cell type. If scientists can identity those initial conditions, they can predict what the cell will become before the differentiation process begins. For example, if cells are being developed for a skin graft, scientists could increase a batch’s yield to 90% skin cells by starting with stem cells whose characteristics indicate they will differentiate in that direction.
Current computer simulations can take months, even years, of computational time to complete. Bowling and his team created a process that reduces the computational time needed for these simulations to just one hour and nine minutes, and he is confident it can be made even faster.
This new simulation process can significantly accelerate research because laboratory experiments often take longer and are much more expensive than simulations. It can also be difficult to measure many physical phenomena occurring at the nanoscale. Researchers can use simulations to fill in details that cannot be measured or directly observed.
The idea, Bowling says, is to use the simulations to inform and narrow future experiments, allowing researchers to focus only on the studies they need to conduct.
“We can investigate processes using computer simulation, which means we can explore a lot of cell behavior much more quickly than you can with experiments,” Bowling said. “We are making it possible to efficiently and effectively test all kinds of possibilities if we can get the simulation physically correct.”
— Jeremy Agor, College of Engineering
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 300,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.