(42g) Integrating Fluidics, Imaging and Modeling to Analyze and Control Developmental Systems (Invited Speaker)

A key goal in systems developmental biology is to identify and exploit the principles that govern how cells coordinate their behavior to organize themselves into functional organs. However, this goal requires new approaches to decipher the mechanisms of signal integration at the cell and organ scale. I will discuss the challenges and approaches for reverse-engineering the signaling networks that regulate cell mechanics, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis during organ growth. This requires the development of cell-, organ- and whole-animal models to study the molecular basis of human diseases. Several recent examples highlight the insights gained into the molecular logic of organ development through “out-of-the-box” thinking and closely integrated team science. Systems analysis of cell-cell signal integration inspires new strategies in engineering multicellular systems for applications ranging from cancer treatments to regenerative medicine.