Mechanochemical feedbacks between physical forces and morphogen signaling during hESC self-organization
| Title | Mechanochemical feedbacks between physical forces and morphogen signaling during hESC self-organization |
|---|---|
| Acronym | MechaChem |
| Website | https://www.imp.ac.at/groups/diana-pinheiro/members |
| Start date | 2022-11-02 |
| End date | 2024-11-03 |
| Sponsor | IMP - Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) |
| Institution | IMP - Research Institute of Molecular Pathology |
Associated cell lines
Project Description
In this project, I aim to examine whether and how mechanochemical feedbacks between morphogen signaling and mechanical forces elicit self-organization in human embryonic stem cell (hESC) colonies. By quantitatively mapping and manipulating tissue mechanics, I hypothesize this study will provide mechanistic insight into key open questions in the field, such as how mechanical forces modulate morphogen signaling or whether they can bypass its activity during colony patterning. For this, I will use micropatterned hESC colonies, previously shown to reproducibly self-organize and recapitulate early embryonic patterning upon stimulation with BMP4 ligands.