Mechanistic links between morphogenesis and differentiation

Cells build the body by a remarkable process of self-organisation. To do this, cells need to integrate multiple sources of information so that they make the right decisions in the right place at the right time. As they initiate differentiation cells change the way they stick to each other and consequently change the way they are organised in 3D space. We found that these changes influence subsequent differentiation decisions by making cells more responsive to "correctly placed" signals and less responsive to "incorrectly placed" signals. We now aim to identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this process. We will also test the prediction that these mechanisms help cells to avoid mistakes by imposing a short time delay to prevent cells from rushing too quickly into a decision (i.e. a "watch and wait" strategy) and by enabling cells to 'pool information' with their neighbours to ensure coherent and coordinated decision-making.