Phase transitions in early development

Add to your list(s) Download to your calendar using vCal

• Professor C-P. Heisenberg & Professor Edouard Hannezo (IST Vienna)
• Wednesday 03 March 2021, 17:00-18:00
• Webinar.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Dr. Adrien Hallou.

To attend subscribe at: https://lists.cam.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/ucam-tlm-talks

Embryo morphogenesis is impacted by dynamic changes in tissue material properties, which have been proposed to occur via processes akin phase transitions (PTs). Here, we show that rigidity percolation provides a simple and robust theoretical framework to predict material / structural PTs of embryonic tissues from local cell connectivity. By using percolation theory, combined with directly monitoring dynamic changes in tissue rheology and cell contact mechanics, we demonstrate that the zebrafish blastoderm undergoes a genuine rigidity PT, brought about by a small reduction in adhesion-dependent cell connectivity below a critical value. We quantitatively predict and experimentally verify hallmarks of PTs, including power-law exponents and associated discontinuities of macroscopic observables. Finally, we show that this uniform PT depends on blastoderm cells undergoing meta-synchronous divisions causing random and, consequently, uniform changes in cell connectivity. Collectively, our theoretical and experimental findings reveal the structural basis of material PTs in an organismal context.

This talk is part of the Theory of Living Matter Group series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• All Talks (aka the CURE list)
• Cambridge talks
• Department of Computer Science and Technology talks and seminars
• Hanchen DaDaDash
• Interested Talks
• PhD
• School of Technology
• Theory of Living Matter Group
• Trust & Technology Initiative - interesting events
• Webinar
• bld31

Note that ex-directory lists are not shown.