Collective Cell Movements and their role in Tissue Dynamics and Morphogenesis during Development

Collective cell movement is a key process during the development of many organisms. We are interested in understanding how cell-cell signalling guides and coordinates large scale cell movements and how these movement feed back on signaling to result in tissue morphogenesis. Specifically we investigate how Dictyostelium discoideum cells sue dynamics cAMP signalling to guide the movements of thousands of cells to from fruiting bodies as well as the molecular mechanisms by which cells produce and detect cAMP gradients and translate this information in directed movement up cAMP gradients. We also investigate the mode and mechanisms of collective cell movements in the chick embryo and have shown that chemo-attraction and -repulsion by growthfactor gradients are key mechanisms, but mechano-sensing and signalling also play an important role. We make extensive use of computer models explore how signalling and cell movement interact to give rise to emergent phenomena at the tissue and organism level such as pattern formation and morphogenesis.