Computational modeling of cellular morphogenesis and shape functionality in plants

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Plant development and functioning are determined by the shape and differentiation of the tissues and cells composing the organism. Unlike animal cells, plant cells are surrounded by a stiff matrix, the cell wall. Consequently, cell developmental processes such as increase in cell size and change in cell shape require the mechanical deformation of this polymer wall. In turn, the mechanical properties of the cell wall determine the geometry of the differentiating cell. Much attention has been devoted to overall cell shape changes such as those occurring during the elongation of cylindrical stem or root cells. However, we have a poor understanding of the mechanical principles that govern the generation of complex cellular geometries such as those of star-shaped trichomes or jigsaw puzzle shaped leaf epidermis cells. Conventional numerical modeling methods are unable to cope with this degree of complexity and I propose to use analytic tools developed for applications in mechanical engineering, in combination with an array of quantitative experimental approaches, to model the mechanical processes that determine plant cell growth and to determine how cell shape influences cell function. This research program combines cell biological approaches with micromechanical engineering and computational modeling.