Physics of Living Matter: From Molecule to Embryo

摘要 器官形态对生物体的正常功能至关重要。这一点对于重要器官尤其明显， 人类心脏的形状缺陷导致先天性心脏病，这是一种常见的出生缺陷。尽管主要 尽管我们付出了巨大的努力，但我们仍然缺乏这个简单问题的答案：DNA如何编码形状？发展和 分子生物学揭示了母体形态发生素如何设置轴和触发级联反应的原理。 基因调控来精确决定细胞命运模式。然而，遗传信息和 机械活动协调形成器官的细胞的相互作用仍然是难以捉摸的。 在他的开创性著作《论生长和形式》中，博学的达西·汤普森提倡定量分析 形态发生学他的想法超前于他们的时代：他们早于基因革命，和许多工具， 缺失的定量分析该提案旨在为定量 形态发生，重温汤普森的议程武装与现代时代的工具包。针对预测 为了加深对形态发生的理解，分子研究必须通过定量分析来扩展 在器官尺度上的组织动力学。从集体现象物理学的器官尺度概念 成为相关的研究如何数以千计的细胞流线型的'活动'，以产生形状。连接 发育生物学与物理学的结合有望揭示器官尺度上的新机制。我们 知道决定命运的转录因子，以及执行细胞行为的细胞骨架蛋白。许多 在生命之树的很大一部分中，这些参与者都是保守的。另一方面，我们学习了形状 材料的力学性能是由力和机械应力等物理量决定的。展开全部 为了发挥跨学科方法的潜力，我们需要新的工具来弥合基因参与者之间的差距， 物理量化。这种方法将引导我们走向形态发生的原理。 我的团队开发了突破性技术，克服了整个器官定量分析的障碍。多- 观察光片显微镜能够以亚细胞分辨率进行快速全活成像。组织制图学 深入弯曲组织的静止框架，生成全景视图，简化数据处理， 定量分析相我们开创了生物蛋白质-图像-信息学， 用物理学的语言来说就是荧光显微镜。利用对早期胚胎的深入了解 在先进的遗传模型系统D.我们的目标是建立一个全面的框架， 基因型如何决定轴伸长过程中的组织流动。我们的方法将产生广泛的影响： 将发育与物理学联系起来，我们就形成了定量形态发生的基础。

ABSTRACT Organ form is vital for organisms to function properly. This is particularly evident for essential organs such as the human heart where shape defects result in congenital heart disease, a common birth defect. Despite major efforts, we still lack answers to this simple question: how does DNA encode shape? Developmental and molecular biology uncovered the principles of how maternal morphogens setup axes and trigger cascades of gene regulation to precisely determine cell fate patterns. Yet how the interplay of genetic information and mechanical activity orchestrates interaction of cells that shape organs remains elusive. In his seminal book “On growth and form” the polymath D'Arcy Thompson advocated for quantitative analysis of morphogenesis. His ideas where ahead of their time: they predate the genetic revolution, and many tools for quantitative analysis where missing. This proposal seeks to lay the foundations for quantitative morphogenesis, revisiting Thompson's agenda armed with the toolkit of the modern era. For a predictive understanding of morphogenesis, molecular investigation must be extended by quantitative analysis of tissue dynamics at the organ scale. At the organ scale concepts from physics of collective phenomena become relevant to study how thousands of cells streamline their `activity' to generate shape. Connecting developmental biology with physics harbors the promise to uncover new mechanisms at the organ scale. We know the transcription factors that determine fate, and cytoskeletal proteins that execute cell behaviors. Many of these players are conserved across a large portion of the tree of life. On the other hand, we learned shape of materials is determined by physical quantities such as force and mechanical stress. To unfold the full potential of an interdisciplinary approach, we need new tools bridging the gap between genetic players and physical quantitates. This approach will lead the way to the principles of morphogenesis. My team develops break through technology overcoming hurdles of whole organ quantitative analysis. Multi- view light sheet microscopy enables rapid in toto live imaging at subcellular resolution. Tissue cartography dives into the rest-frame of curved tissues and generates a panoramic overview, simplifying data handling and quantitative analysis. We pioneer biophysics-image-informatics to extract quantitative observables from fluorescence microscopy in the language of physics. Leveraging advanced understanding of the early embryo in the advanced genetic model system D. melanogaster, we aim for a comprehensive framework predicting how genotype determines tissue flows during axis elongation. Our approach will have a broad impact: by connecting development with physics we form the foundation of quantitative morphogenesis.