Post by EMBL

How do the physical properties of embryos affect their development? New studies from the Petridou Group at EMBL Heidelberg and collaborators reveal that tissue mechanics play an active role in embryonic development – not just for physical processes like deformation, but as regulators of biological signalling itself. Using theoretical modelling, advanced light microscopy, and optogenetics, the researchers showed that increasing cell-cell adhesion can shift tissues from fluid-like to solid-like states. These changes in tissue rigidity then influence how certain developmental signals become locally concentrated within the embryo. The work uncovers a feedback loop between tissue mechanics and signalling, highlighting how physical and biochemical processes are deeply intertwined during development. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/d5n7APPA

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