How a single cell can give rise to an entire organ, or even a multicellular organism remains a largely unsolved question in biology. Embryonic and adult development are regulated by a multitude of mechanisms including cell polarity, oriented cell division, cell-cell communication, cell migration, cell competition, cell death, and differential gene expression. It is the intricate interplay between these mechanisms that drives tissue morphogenesis and organogenesis. Stem and progenitor cells have been shown to drive development because they are endowed with various levels of developmental potential or “potency”. However, the mechanisms regulating the ability of these cells to make fate decisions and thereby contribute to development remain not fully understood.
How the mechanisms regulating development are coordinated in time and space, and how they influence cell fate and behaviour remain poorly understood. This is particularly true for vertebrate and mammalian development. Over several decades our knowledge of vertebrate/mammalian development has come in large part from discoveries in model systems such as the Drosophila melanogaster or C. elegans. Nonetheless, translation of those mechanisms to vertebrates/mammals is not always straightforward. Additionally, while the use of mouse genetics has led to major discoveries of the mechanisms of development, the spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression or protein function that define the functional relationship between different cell types and their relative contribution to tissue morphogenesis and organogenesis is still largely unresolved. To tackle these untenable questions in developmental biology, multidisciplinary research bringing together emerging and novel approaches from stem cell research, cell biology and physics.
The aim of the current research topic is to cover promising, recent and novel approaches in genetic fate mapping, single-cell technologies, organoids, emerging model organisms, microscopy and mathematical modelling, and how their combination can advance our understanding of developmental biology.
Areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells derived organoids
• Adult/tissue-specific stem cells derived organoids
• Models of tissue regeneration
• Emerging models of multicellularity
• Mathematical modelling of cell fate and behaviour during tissue morphogenesis.
• New imaging technologies, artificial intelligence and mathematics to model development.
How a single cell can give rise to an entire organ, or even a multicellular organism remains a largely unsolved question in biology. Embryonic and adult development are regulated by a multitude of mechanisms including cell polarity, oriented cell division, cell-cell communication, cell migration, cell competition, cell death, and differential gene expression. It is the intricate interplay between these mechanisms that drives tissue morphogenesis and organogenesis. Stem and progenitor cells have been shown to drive development because they are endowed with various levels of developmental potential or “potency”. However, the mechanisms regulating the ability of these cells to make fate decisions and thereby contribute to development remain not fully understood.
How the mechanisms regulating development are coordinated in time and space, and how they influence cell fate and behaviour remain poorly understood. This is particularly true for vertebrate and mammalian development. Over several decades our knowledge of vertebrate/mammalian development has come in large part from discoveries in model systems such as the Drosophila melanogaster or C. elegans. Nonetheless, translation of those mechanisms to vertebrates/mammals is not always straightforward. Additionally, while the use of mouse genetics has led to major discoveries of the mechanisms of development, the spatiotemporal regulation of gene expression or protein function that define the functional relationship between different cell types and their relative contribution to tissue morphogenesis and organogenesis is still largely unresolved. To tackle these untenable questions in developmental biology, multidisciplinary research bringing together emerging and novel approaches from stem cell research, cell biology and physics.
The aim of the current research topic is to cover promising, recent and novel approaches in genetic fate mapping, single-cell technologies, organoids, emerging model organisms, microscopy and mathematical modelling, and how their combination can advance our understanding of developmental biology.
Areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells derived organoids
• Adult/tissue-specific stem cells derived organoids
• Models of tissue regeneration
• Emerging models of multicellularity
• Mathematical modelling of cell fate and behaviour during tissue morphogenesis.
• New imaging technologies, artificial intelligence and mathematics to model development.