FBS Colloquia No.322Laboratory for Single-cell Neurobiology

Self-propelling mechanisms of zippering and neural tube closure in a simple chordate

My research seeks to address how self-organized collective cell movements emerge through the dynamic interplay of cell-cell signaling, force generation and tissue remodeling during embryonic development. Ascidians are marine invertebrate chordates, that are the closest relatives of vertebrates. They provide the opportunity to both manipulate and observe the dynamics of signaling, cell contractility and adhesion from subcellular to tissue scales, in the context of simple and highly stereotyped morphogenetic events with very few large cells in optically clear embryos. I will present self-propelling mechanisms of zippering and neural tube closure in ascidians.