During embryonic development cells act as coordinated groups to produce better directionality and overcome forces from surrounding tissues while moving between them. In order to do this more efficiently cells within a collective can distribute their forces at the level of the integrated collective rather than individually.
We study the advantages cells gain from actin collectively in embryonic settings and how integration of forces allows them to reproducibly and robustly navigate complex embryonic environments in order to produce the correct embryonic morphology.
Our previous work has identified the migrating cardiopharyngeal precursors of the Ciona robusta embryo as the simplest possible form of supracellular migration and showed that coordination of forces between the two moving cells facilitates their movement, enhancing their directionality.
Open projects:
1. Coordination of force distribution during Ciona tail elongation.
We study the advantages cells gain from actin collectively in embryonic settings and how integration of forces allows them to reproducibly and robustly navigate complex embryonic environments in order to produce the correct embryonic morphology.
Our previous work has identified the migrating cardiopharyngeal precursors of the Ciona robusta embryo as the simplest possible form of supracellular migration and showed that coordination of forces between the two moving cells facilitates their movement, enhancing their directionality.
Open projects:
1. Coordination of force distribution during Ciona tail elongation.