[Colloquium] Physics of Living Systems: From embryos to synthetic morphogenesis

Speaker: Sebastian Streichan, UCSB

Title: Physics of Living Systems: From embryos to synthetic morphogenesis 

Abstract: Morphogenesis, is a dynamic process that casts a cell collective, via growth and coordinated rearrangements into precisely shaped and structured units that we recognize as organs and bodies. Developmental biology uncovered much about genetic regulators that endow the embryonic cell collective with a sense of positional information. This coordinate system contains information that determines what kind of structure is built where. How shape and structure emerges from the collective activity of cells remains an unsolved problem. Study of morphogenesis therefore benefits from quantitative approaches, but also promises to yield new physics. 

In the talk, I will discuss how we combine experimental multi scale tools, quantitative analysis, and simple theoretical considerations to establish the dynamic rules of morphogenesis.  In particular I will focus on mechanical aspects, i) outlining our steps towards a quantitative understanding of organ shape, and ii) how this work informs new opportunities to break free from embryos. By exposing stem cell collectives to well defined initial conditions, we gain control over the self-organized process of morphogenesis, and develop new structured active matter.