The simplicity of morphogenesis, manifested as collective shape changes, emerges from complex biophysical regulations within a multicellular embryo. Constructing a spatio-temporal atlas of mechanical stresses is central for understanding the emergence of this simplicity. Developing a new mathematical theory for the static mechanics of three-dimensional multicellular aggregates involving pressures and tensions, I present an image-based approach of inferring forces with high accuracy and robustness. The underlying attributes in the modeling imply the low-dimensionality of morphological geometry space, and the mechanical flexibility of tension allocation. The ensuing mechanical atlas, within the context of ascidian gastrulation, reveals the adiabatic nature of mechanical dynamics, its dependencies on cell-cycle and cell-lineage, and the novel correlations and variations in the spatio-temporal patterns.

Creator

• Liu, Siqi

DOI

• https://doi.org/10.21985/n2-tjxw-7a41

Subject

• Applied mathematics

Language

• en

Alternate Identifier

• etdadmin_upload_1012636
• http://dissertations.umi.com/northwestern:16728

Keyword

• Three-dimensional
• Morphogenesis
• Mathematical model
• Ascidian gastrulation
• Force inference

Date created

• 2023-01-01

Resource type

• Dissertation

Rights statement

• In Copyright