Building the brain: How mechanical forces shape human neural development

摘要： 随着大脑的发育，增殖细胞组织成结构，分化，迁移， 突出长突起并与其它细胞连接。这些生物过程产生 塑造细胞动力学和器官模式的机械力。一个未回答的少校 发育生物学中的一个问题是， 被细胞检测和转导，以影响生物化学和遗传程序， 发展需要新的生物物理方法来回答这个问题。我们的目标是 通过产生新的， 分子、成像和生物工程工具。我们将测量和操纵机械力 在人脑类器官形成的不同时间点这些研究将提供定量的 和机械的洞察力的作用，机械力在发展过程中，并证明 当它们被破坏时，发展是如何失败的。

Abstract: As the brain develops, proliferating cells organize into structures, differentiate, migrate, extrude long processes and connect with other cells. These biological processes produce mechanical forces that shape cellular dynamics and organ patterning. A major unanswered question in developmental biology is how the mechanical forces produced during development are detected and transduced by cells to impact the biochemical and genetic programs of development. New biophysical approaches are required to answer this question. We aim to uncover the mechanical dynamics underlying human neural development by generating new molecular, imaging and bioengineering tools. We will measure and manipulate mechanical forces at different timepoints of human brain organoid formation. These studies will provide quantitative and mechanistic insights on the role of mechanical forces during development, and demonstrate how development fails when they are disrupted.