Tubular morphogenesis in a dish

During human embryonic development, two-dimensional sheets of cells undergo complex shape changes to form functional three-dimensional tubular organs such as the brain, gut, and lungs. While we understand many of the biological details, a physical description of tubular morphogenesis remains a challenge. This knowledge gap is primarily due to a lack of quantitative experimental data, as mammalian embryos develop inside a womb, which is difficult to access. To address this challenge, we develop human stem-cell systems that self-organize into three-dimensional tubular tissues, mirroring organ morphogenesis in a dish. We have recently recreated human neural tube morphogenesis, a key event in the formation of the brain and spinal cord. We apply our bottom-up approach to study the physics of organ shape formation, understand human birth defects, and design new synthetic biological shapes.