Correlated Cell Movement in Embryogenesis

摘要断奶是脊椎动物胚胎生长发育过程中的一种关键的结构转变。所涉及的发育过程在一系列不同的生物中具有共同的特征，因此可以从对小鼠和小鸡等模式生物的研究中了解到许多关于人类胚胎发生的知识。最近，追踪原肠发育过程中鸡胚胎中单个细胞的运动已经成为可能。这项提议的目的是构建一个基于个体的细胞运动模块化理论，从而能够直接解释这一数据。研究人员将从最简单的生物学上看似合理的模型开始，并添加新的特征(如额外的形态和化学信号，或更精细的分化细胞类型)，在紧密的理论/实验合作中不断地将模型与实验数据对峙。随着数据对模型的约束，以及模型提出了可能的情景，然后可以进行实验测试，研究人员希望对原肠形成有更完整和合理的理解。他们将把他们的建模努力集中在鸡胚的基本发育过程上，特别是科勒镰刀的形成，原始条纹的发展，以及中胚层细胞通过条纹进入。研究人员将把这一研究项目与研究生和本科生的研究项目结合起来。这将允许学生接触和参与广泛的国际和多学科研究工作，包括新的理论想法和直接的实验应用。这项拟议的研究与亚利桑那州立大学迅速发展的跨学科生物物理学项目非常契合，该项目成功地吸引了女性和少数族裔学生。调查人员将把这项工作作为两个外联项目的核心组成部分：一个旨在强调生命科学的进步如何通过跨学科研究来实现；另一个旨在鼓励来自凤凰城地区代表性不足群体的高中生从事科学事业。

Correlated Cell Movement in Embryogenesis (Pilot Study)AbstractGastrulation is a key structural transition in the growth and development of the vertebrate embryo. The developmental processes involved share common features across a diverse array of organisms, so much can be learned about embryogenesis in humans from the study of model organisms such as the mouse and the chick. Very recently it has become possible to track individual cell movements in chick embryos during gastrulation. The aim of this proposal is to construct an individual-based modular theory of cell movement which will allow direct interpretation of this data. The investigators will start with the simplest biologically plausible model and add new features (such as additional morphogens and chemical signals, or more finely differentiated cell types), continually confronting the models to experimental data within a close-knit theory/experiment collaboration. With the data constraining the models, and the models suggesting possible scenarios which can then be experimentally tested, the investigators hope to initiate a more complete and soundly based understanding of gastrulation. They will focus their modeling efforts on fundamental developmental processes in the chick embryo, in particular the formation of Koller's sickle, progression of the primitive streak, and ingression of mesodermal cells through the streak. The investigators will integrate this research program with both graduate and undergraduate research projects. This will allow students exposure to and involvement in a wide-ranging international and multidisciplinary research effort involving new theoretical ideas and direct experimental application. The proposed research meshes well with Arizona State University's rapidly growing interdisciplinary biophysics program which successfully attracts both female and minority students. The investigators will use this work as a central component of two outreach programs: one designed to emphasize how advances in the life sciences can arise through interdisciplinary research; the other to encourage high school students from under-represented groups in the Phoenix area to pursue careers in science.