Cell and tissue dynamics driving gastrulation: Analysis using advanced live imaging computational data analysis and modelling

原肠形成是胚胎发育过程中最关键的事件之一。它的特点是大规模的组织变形和不同的细胞运动，导致早期胚胎中外胚层、中胚层和内胚层的形成和定位。这些协调的组织变形源于单个细胞与其相邻细胞相互作用的运动性和收缩能力。它们通过化学和机械细胞-细胞信号机制在空间和时间上受到高度控制。这个高度跨学科的博士项目的目的是将最先进的分子和细胞生物学与基于光片显微镜的成像、数据分析和复杂的数学建模相结合，以定量分析驱动鸡胚胎原肠形成的细胞行为，这是一个被广泛研究的人类发育模型系统。我们将使用系统生物学的方法和大规模的数据分析，集中于阐明在原肠形成过程中控制这些细胞行为的化学和机械细胞-细胞信号机制。了解细胞-细胞信号和集体细胞行为之间的相互作用对于理解胚胎发育的所有阶段、常见先天性缺陷的起源、伤口愈合、再生和癌症转移至关重要，并将指导组织工程和再生医学中干细胞的合理使用。

Gastrulation is one of the most critical events during the development of an embryo. It is characterised by large-scale tissue deformations and differential cell movements that result in the formation and positioning of the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm in the early embryo. These coordinated tissue deformations derive from the motility and contractility of individual cells interacting with their neighbours. They are highly controlled in space and time through chemical and mechanical cell-cell signalling mechanisms. The aim of this highly interdisciplinary PhD project is combine state-of-the-art molecular and cell biology with lightsheet microscopy based imaging, data analysis and sophisticated mathematical modelling to quantitatively analyse the cell behaviours that drive gastrulation in the chick embryo, a widely studied model system for human development. We will concentrate on elucidating the chemical and mechanical cell-cell signalling mechanisms that control these cell behaviours during gastrulation using systems biology approaches and large scale data analysis. Understanding the interplay between cell-cell signalling and collective cell behaviours iscritical for understanding all stages of embryonic development, the origins of common congenital defects, wound healing, regeneration and cancer metastasis and will guide tissue engineering and the rational use of stem cells in regenerative medicine.