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Résumé |
Morphogenesis is the process by which biological systems sculpt their shapes, for example, during
embryonic development. Physical constraints from mechanics and geometry are essential to
understanding this process; conversely, “living matter” exhibits new physical phenomena. To change
shape, cells actively generate mechanical stress using motor molecules. We describe a recent theoretical
framework for the mechanics and morphogenesis of epithelia (arXiv 2601.08968 and 2601.14467). Tools
from (discrete) Riemannian geometry show how local, active tensions control tissue shape, and how
tissues can “flow” without becoming a fluid. Morphogenesis also takes place at the intracellular scale. We
discuss ongoing work to simulate strongly deforming membranes and biomolecular condensates, using
automatic differentiation, a core machine-learning technique, to reverse-engineer the processes that give
rise to observed shapes (arXiv 2610.02566). We outline future directions on unifying the “physical”
geometry of morphogenesis with the “internal” geometry of the Waddington landscapes that govern cell
differentiation. |
