Mitochondrio - a Unity platform-based simulation of mitochondrial network dynamics

Mitochondria can take on a wide range of forms, from spherical/ovoid structures to tubules to highly interconnected networks. In many cell types, mitochondria are highly malleable, capable of continually undergoing fusion and/or fission to form larger or smaller structures, respectively. In addition, mitochondria are motile, trafficked along the cytoskeleton by molecular motors to reach distant parts of the cell and then return. Computational biology can be usefully applied to understanding dynamical systems, sometimes revealing underlying relationships that are not otherwise apparent. For this purpose we developed Mitochondrio, an application that simulates mitochondrial network dynamics in a single cell. Mitochondrio is programmed in Unity, a platform specializing in creating 3D games. The application presents the user with an interface allowing them to enter parameter values for the following mitochondrial characteristics: starting density, fusion probability, fission probability, and speed. The user also defines a starting cytoskeleton, as mitochondria are tethered in silico to this cytoskeleton. When a simulation is then initiated, Mitochondrio will run continually under the specific parameters and eventually reach a steady state that can be analyzed by other platforms like MiNA. Here we will describe the development of Mitochondrio and its use to gain insight into mitochondrial dynamics that can inform experimental work. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2025 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.