PROGRAM

NEW PROGRAM POSTER for MICHEALMAS 2025 is here !

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find our latest updates on BLUESKY: @CamMorphoSeries

10^th October 2025:  Anne Grapin-Botton (Max Planck Insitute for Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany)

Location: online on Zoom

Formation of complex ductal networks in the pancreas and pancreas organoids

Many organs harbor tubes containing fluid. Lumen containing fluid also form in many organoid systems. Organoids display a wide variety of morphological complexities ranging from simple balls of cells or hollow spheres to objects with bulges, lumen with complex shapes or breaking symmetry to elongate. To understand pancreas morphogenesis, as a complement to in vivo investigations, we designed simplified in vitro systems that can be monitored and manipulated more extensively than the whole embryo. We established three-dimensional culture conditions that enable the efficient expansion, differentiation and morphogenesis of pancreatic progenitors isolated from mouse embryos, human fetuses or produced from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). The mouse system is architecturally the most elaborate, encompassing all epithelial pancreatic cell types spatially arranged similarly to the developing organ in vivo. Notably, acinar cells, the cells that produce digestive enzymes, are found at the tip of emerging branches and a network or ducts connects them, though lacking the outlet found in vivo. Endocrine cells form a small percentage interspersed between ducts. We will discuss how a network of ducts with narrow elongated lumen forms rather than single spherical lumen found in many organoids and their links to branching morphogenesis in vivo. Combining live imaging, computational modelling and interferences we find that networks of thin lumen form in conditions of low hydrostatic pressure enabled by epithelial leakiness. In addition, fast proliferation enabling the constant formation of new microlumen that slowly fuse with a growing network maintains the system out of equilibrium and is crucial for the formation of the luminal network.

20^th October 2025: Pierre-François Lenne (IBDM and Turing Center for Living Systems, Aix Marseille Univ. & CNRS, Marseille, France)  

Location: Sainsbury Laboratory, 47 Bateman St, CB21LR, Cambridge and online on Zoom

Building and extending the body axis: the role of tissue Interfaces 

The formation of the body axis is a central step in embryonic development; however, how tissues coordinate to shape and extend it remains largely unknown. Using mouse gastruloids and Xenopus explants, we investigated how tissue interactions drive axis elongation. In gastruloids, we demonstrate that the mechanical properties at tissue interfaces drive collective cell flows and contribute to axis formation and early extension. In Xenopus explants, we show that coordinated interactions between epithelial and mesenchymal layers are essential for robust elongation. These findings highlight different but potentially conserved strategies by which tissues build and extend the body axis, revealing that tissue interfaces can organize coherent axis formation even in the absence of external signals.  

@pflenne.bsky.social 

co-hosted with Theory of Living Matter Seminar Series

27^th October 2025: Ya Min (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA) and Baptiste Tesson  (Institute Curie, Paris, France)

Location: online on Zoom

Ya Min: The Moment Symmetry Breaks: Spatiotemporal Dynamics of CYCLOIDEA Expression During Early Floral Development

The establishment of bilateral symmetry in flowers depends on the precise regulation of CYCLOIDEA (CYC) gene expression along the dorsal-ventral axis. Although auxin and BLADE-ON-PETIOLE (BOP) have been implicated as regulators of CYC, when, where, and how they affect CYC expression remains unclear. Here, we combined transgenic manipulation and fluorescent confocal imaging to capture the spatiotemporal dynamics of the Mimulus parishii CYC genes (MpCYC2a and MpCYC2b) in relation to FM growth and auxin activity maxima in both wild type (WT) and bop mutants (mpbop). Strikingly, MpCYCs have already gained dorsal expression in the FM prior to any detectable auxin maxima, and no difference in MpCYC expression was observed between the wild type and mpbop during this initiation phase. We observed highly dynamic auxin maxima during FM expansion, when MpCYC expressions remained dorsally restricted in WT but expanded broadly inmpbop FMs. These findings suggest that early symmetry breaking in the FM is guided by positional cues independent of auxin or BOP, which are instead essential for refining and maintaining dorsal-specific CYC expression during later FM enlargement. Our work illustrated how combining advanced imaging with emerging model systems can yield fresh insights into long-standing questions in development and evolution, and laid the groundwork for further elucidating the mechanisms underlying the repeated symmetry breaking in FMs.

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Baptiste Tesson Title: Complementary Mechanical Identities from Iterative BMP Signaling Ensure Robust Morphogenesis

Morphogenetic robustness stems from the coordination of signaling cues, mechanical properties, and tissue geometry to produce outcomes that resist perturbation. D. melanogaster dorsal closure provides a powerful model to study this integration. In this process, the dorsal-most tissue, the extraembryonic amnioserosa, contracts and pulls on the dorsal epidermis, which elongates in response to enclose the embryo. We show that this system relies on an elastic-to-plastic transition of the dorsal epidermis together with a strengthening of the interface between the two tissues. These properties emerge from iterative phases of DPP/BMP signaling following the initial morphogen gradient. This sequential mechanism, that we defined as automorphy, instructs tissues with distinct mechanical identities such as contractile, plastic, or adhesive while preserving positional information. Together, these mechanical programs provide resilience to developmental perturbations and enable the embryo to adapt to internal organ volume, thereby safeguarding morphogenetic robustness. Our results highlight how repeated waves of morphogen activity translate patterning into complementary mechanical programs that ensure reliable morphogenesis.

3^rd November 2025: Philip Maini (University of Oxford) 

Location: online on Zoom

Modelling collective cell movement in early development 

Collective cell movement is a common phenomenon in biology, occurring n embryonic development, wound healing and disease. In a collaboration with experimentalists for over a decade we have been carrying out an interdisciplinary study of the chick cranial neural crest. I will show how a simple agent-based mathematical model, combined with experimental studies, has led to new insights into how these neural crest cells move in a coherent stream. In particular we identified phenotypic heterogeneity and switching as being key features of the process, as well as investigating mechanisms that confine the cells to the corridor along which they move. 

10^th November 2025: Jean-Léon Maître  (Institut Curie, Paris, France)

Location: online on Zoom

Mechanics of blastocyst morphogenesis 

During preimplantation development, the mammalian embryo forms the blastocyst consisting of a surface epithelium enveloping a fluid-filled lumen and a cluster of pluripotent stem cells. The architecture of the blastocyst is key to uterine implantation and further development. The shaping of the blastocyst is the result of changes in the physical properties of the cells, which generate the forces sculpting the embryo. These forces typically originate from the cytoskeleton, adhesion molecules of the osmotic machinery. In the lab, we use live microscopy to observe shape changes across spatiotemporal scales, biophysical tools to characterize the changes in physical properties of cells and tissues, and genetics to disrupt morphogenesis. This led us to discover the major contribution of cell contractility throughout preimplantation morphogenesis in both mouse and human embryos as well as the physical nature of the mechanisms leading to the positioning of the lumen within the embryo. 

‪@maitrejl.bsky.social‬ 

17th November 2025: Luca Guglielmi (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Cambridge, UK) and Susannah McLaren (Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, UK)

Location: hybrid- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience (PDN), University of Cambridge,  4-7 Downing pl, CB2 3EL, and online on Zoom

Luca Guglielmi: Modelling Neuronal Morphogenesis Across Species: a Purkinje Cell’s Journey to Utmost Complexity 

The human cerebellum contains approximately 80–90% of all neurons in the adult brain. During evolution, its expansion contributed substantially to the remarkable size of the human brain and to the emergence of complex behaviours such as tool-making and language. Species-specific differences are particularly evident in cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs), the largest and most elaborate neurons in the human brain, which display disproportionate dendritic complexity compared to other species. However, the mechanisms underlying PC scaling remain poorly understood, as reproducing advanced stages of cerebellar development in vitro has remained a major challenge. By balancing self-organization with guided differentiation, I have established a new in vitro model of cerebellar development that enables the study of late gestational stages previously inaccessible. Under these conditions, PCs undergo conserved morphogenetic transitions across distinct developmental phases in vitro, progressing on species-specific timescales that closely mirror in vivo trajectories. By combining quantitative morphometry with cross-species comparisons, I am investigating the human-specific mechanisms driving disproportionate PC morphogenesis and their contribution to cerebellar growth and evolutionary scaling. 

@luca-guglielmi.bsky.social 

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Susannah McLaren: The spatial organisation of coral-algae symbiosis 

How do different organisms interact to unlock new possibilities for life? The symbiosis between cnidarians, including corals and sea anemones, and algae provides a striking example. Algae residing inside the host’s cells provide key nutrients derived from photosynthesis, enabling survival in nutrient-poor environments and unlocking the existence of the planet’s most biodiverse ecosystems – coral reefs. 

This photosynthetic symbiosis is highly sensitive to the physical environment. Many symbiotic partnerships break down under light and heat stress in an event called ‘bleaching’, where algal symbionts are lost from the host. However, some partnerships can persist under environmental change, raising the question – how do corals and algae build a symbiosis for survival in a given environment? 

Using high-resolution imaging, molecular biology approaches and physical perturbations we are exploring how multicellular cnidarians and their single-celled algal partners interact to build a symbiotic relationship as the host develops from a ball of cells into an adult polyp. We reveal that symbionts are not passively accommodated but dynamically patterned within the host during morphogenesis and show that this organisation can be remodelled under environmental change. Overall, our work aims to reveal fundamental principles of how interacting organisms dynamically shape each other’s biology to survive in challenging ecological niches. 

24^th November 2025: Meng Zhu ( Tabin lab, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts, USA) and Alex Plum (University of California, San Diego, USA)

Location: online on Zoom

Meng Zhu’ s title: Maternal oxygen levels regulate the timing of limb development in amniote species

Heterochrony, or the alternation of developmental timing, is an important mechanism underlying changes during evolution. A notable example involves the timing of amniote limb formation, where avian species display synchronized growth of the forelimbs and hindlimbs, while mammalian species show a marked delay in hindlimb development relative to forelimb. This is hypothesized to have evolved in the context of an energy trade-off involving constrained nutrient supplies in the early development of eutherian mammals, yet the molecular basis of the delay is poorly understood. We here show that mammalian limb heterochrony is evident from the time the limb buds are first initiated, and is associated with heterochronic expression of T-box transcription factors. This heterochronic change relative to non-mammalian embryos is not due to changes in cis-regulatory elements controlling T-box gene suppression, but unexpectedly, is regulated by the differential oxygen levels to which avian and mammalian embryos are exposed at prelimb initiation stages. By integrating RNA-sequencing analyses with genetic assays, we found that hypoxia’s impact on hindlimb development is at least partially mediated through the expression of NFKB transcription factor, cRel. Taken together, these results provide mechanistic understanding of an important example of developmental heterochrony and exemplify the importance of the maternal environment in regulating the timing of embryonic development. In addition, our results help to explain the limb-type specific venerability to gestational hypoxia.

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Alex Plum’s title: Morphogen patterning in dynamic tissues

Embryogenesis integrates morphogenesis—coordinated cell movements—with cell differentiation, often informed by morphogen patterning. While largely studied independently, morphogenesis and patterning often unfold simultaneously in early embryos. Yet how cell movements affect morphogen transport and cells’ exposure over time remains unclear, as most pattern formation models assume static tissues. Here we develop a theoretical framework for morphogen patterning in dynamic tissues,

recasting advection-reaction-diffusion equations in the cells’ moving reference frames. This framework (i) elucidates how morphogenesis mediates morphogen transport and compartmentalization: cell-cell diffusive transport is enhanced at multicellular flow attractors, while repellers act as barriers, affecting cell fate induction and bifurcations. (ii) It formalizes cell-cell signaling ranges in dynamic tissues, deconfounding morphogenetic movements to identify which cells could communicate via morphogens. (iii) It provides two new nondimensional numbers to assess when and where morphogenesis affects morphogen transport. We demonstrate this framework by analyzing classical patterning models with common morphogenetic motifs as well as experimental tissue flows. Our work rationalizes dynamic tissue patterning in development, constraining candidate patterning mechanisms and parameters using accessible cell motion data.

Twitter/X: @axplum , Bluesky: @alex-plum.bsky.social 

1^st December 2025: Neha Bathia (Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge)

Location: hybrid – The Gurdon Institute, Tennis Court Rd, CB2 1QN and online on Zoom

Patterns and form:Lessons from plants.

Nature has provided us with many beautiful patterns and forms to admire—for example, patterns on butterfly wings, stripes on a Zebra, striking arrangements of leaves and flowers in plants, and diverse leaf shapes. A fundamental question in biology is how living forms are generated and diversified during evolution. Plants offer an attractive system to study this problem as they continue to develop their organs post-embryonically, allowing us to investigate organ initiation and follow their development over time. In my talk, I will discuss how the combined use of different techniques such as advanced microscopy, genetics and computational approaches can help us understand the genetically controlled mechanisms of patterning and growth that underlie the generation of plant forms.

@neha_bhatia29