Collaborative Project: Physical Mechanisms of Morphogenesis

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9317933 Forgacs The proposed research represents a collaborative project entitled "Physical Mechanisms of Morphogenesis". Tissue morphogenesis is the process by which the form of the body and its various organs is established in the embryo, and by which normal and abnormal changes in the adult, such as wound healing and tumor invasion, are brought about. The two PIs on this collaborative project, Stuart Newman (New York Medical College) and Gabor Forgacs (Clarkson University) propose to continue a program of interdisciplinary studies on the idea that 'generic' physical properties of tissue, such as surface tension, interfacial tension, and viscosity contribute importantly to the tissue's morphogenetic behaviors. Model mesenchymal tissue containing suspended cells, or cell-sized latex particles with specific surface coatings, will be analyzed with respect to the dependence of their surface and interfacial tension and viscosity on the composition and macromolecular concentration of the matrix, as well as the number per volume and surface characteristics of the suspended cells or particles. Interfacially-driven cell transport in model matrices ('matrix-driven translocation') will be used as a tool to study the dependence of morphogenetic properties on physical and compositional variables. The ability of living mesenchymal tissue derived from avian embryos to mix, or to form boundaries of immiscibility, will be correlated with the presence of networks of extracellular fibers and the experimental disruption of such networks. A theoretical framework will be developed for interpreting the relationship among physical, compositional, and microscopic morphology of model tissues, and their capacity to form interfaces, to flow, and to exhibit other morphogenetic changes. ***