“Self-organized versus controlled guidance of cells and tissues”

 Host: Dr Rastko Sknepnek 

Venue:  Sir Kenneth and Lady Noreen Murray Seminar Room, CITR 284, Discovery Centre

Abstract: 

 In development and disease, coordinated cell and tissue movement is crucial for processes like morphogenesis, immune response, and cancer invasion. While it is commonly assumed that collective motion is steered by pre-patterned chemical or mechanical cues, limited evidence supports such long-range guidance in living organisms. In contrast, recent findings are unveiling the prominence of local, self-generated cues across different systems, prompting a shift towards investigating controlled vs. self-organized guidance. In this talk I will focus on two distinct systems to explore their guidance principles: (i) The development of branched structures, such as neurons and lymphatic networks, and (ii) collective migration of immune cells. I will introduce theoretical models to predict quantitative signatures of self-organized vs. controlled guidance, which I will compare with experimental data at both cell and tissue scales. Finally, I will discuss the potential of self-organized guidance as a robust mechanism to navigate heterogeneous cell populations and to ensure tissue-scale optimization strategies.