How Tissues Flow, Jam, and Shape Developing Embryos

One of the most intriguing questions in science is how complex organisms are formed from a single fertilized egg. This process requires not only genetic programs but also physical forces that guide cells as they organize into tissues and organs. Crucially, biological tissues exhibit characteristics of soft materials, capable of flowing and deforming in response to these forces. These material properties, describing whether tissues behave more like solids or fluids, can change drastically during development, reminiscent of rigidity transitions in physics such as jamming. Such transitions are thought to be essential for proper embryonic development. However, measuring the impact of these transitions on cell behaviours or identifying how to control them is challenging experimentally in developing animals. In this talk, I will discuss our research developing computational and theoretical models to investigate the interplay between tissue material properties, cellular functions, and tissue boundary formation, yielding testable predictions for various developmental processes and disease.