About her postdoctoral project

Cell aggregates from a number species (hydra, Xenopus, mouse embryonic stem cells) are able to generate spatial asymmetries in gene expression and cell behavior within otherwise equivalent groups of cells. How an isotropic cell population within homogeneously distributed signals self-organize to generate axial patterns and territories with distinct fates is a question that prevails throughout development. Geometrical, mechanical, and chemical cues provided through mother are important factors that greatly vary across species, and confound our understanding of principles of morphogenesis. Here, using a minimal in vitro system made of embryonic stem cells in aggregates, we will investigate how stem cells dynamically self-organize in a multicellular environment to generate a body plan.

The objectives of the postdoctoral project will be to understand the early cellular events that initiate gastrulation and the role of mechanical constrains in this process.