SKM 2021 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 7: Cell Mechanics, Cell Adhesion and Migration, Multicellular Systems

BP 7.1: Invited Talk

Thursday, September 30, 2021, 15:00–15:30, H6

Shaping embryos through controlled tissue phase transitions — •Otger Campàs — Physics of Life Excellence Cluster, TU Dresden, Germany — University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

During embryonic development, cells self-organize to build functional structures, like tissues and organs, and progressively shape the organism. While many key molecular players that orchestrate embryonic development are known, the physical mechanisms underlying embryonic morphogenesis remain largely unknown, mainly because of a lack in methodologies enabling direct in vivo and in situ measurements of forces and mechanical properties within developing 3D tissues and organs. For similar reasons, understanding the fundamental physical nature of active multicellular systems has been very challenging. We have recently developed novel microdroplet-based techniques that allow direct quantitative measurements of mechanical forces and material properties within 3D multicellular systems, including developing embryonic tissues. Using these techniques and focusing on the elongation of the body axis, a hallmark morphogenetic process in vertebrate development, we reveal a new physical mechanism of tissue morphogenesis whereby spatiotemporally controlled fluid-to-solid (rigidity) transitions in the tissue physical state, rather than patterned mechanical stresses, guide tissue flows to shape functional embryonic structures. Moreover, combining computational and experimental data, we show that active tension fluctuations control tissue fluidization in vivo.