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Researchers make interesting discovery in embryonic development
Their findings might completely change the understanding of how living things grow
Representative Image / Unsplash
L. Mahadevan, an Indian American scientist, and a group of researchers hailing from Harvard, the University of California San Diego, and the University of Dundee in the United Kingdom unveiled a theoretical framework that provided illumination on gastrication, an exceptionally critical stage during the early stages of embryonic development.
In order to conceptualize the gastrulation process, the scientists drew a parallel between cells and thin sheets of paper. The flat pieces of paper are transformed into three-dimensional forms via gastrulation. This process functions as the foundation for the development of various cell types and organs within the body.
Building upon their experimental findings published earlier in 2023, the researchers demonstrated that subtle changes in cell parameters and behavior during gastrulation could have a profound impact on the resulting patterns.
By manipulating cell distribution and cell behavior, the researchers were able to simulate gastrulation patterns observed in other species, such as frogs, fish, and chameleons. Mahadevan and his team studied this transformation in chicken embryos, and their research, published in Science Advances, might completely change the understanding of how living things grow.
Mahadevan, the Lola England de Valpine Professor of Applied Mathematics at Harvard, explained, "We asked if there are emergent biophysical principles that operate on the multi-cellular level and can help explain the self-organized gastrulation patterns from both a developmental and an evolutionary perspective."
According to Mahadevan, the implications of this research extend beyond understanding embryonic development. He highlighted, "The general biophysical principles underlying active self-organized flows and forces during embryogenesis have the power to explain developmental processes and their evolutionary variations across different species of vertebrates."
The study illuminated the principles of self-organization in early development, the evolutionary history of developmental processes and controlling the development of synthetic organoids.
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