RESEARCH

We are fascinated by how organs can be sculpted by mesenchymal layers such as musculature. Mesenchymal tissues shape organs through their elasticity and migratory dynamics.  Mesenchymal cells not only sculpt tissues, but often exhibit complex, rule-based collective behaviors, reminiscent of animal swarms. How are such collective behaviors  harnessed to precisely shape organs?

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Many organs, including the gut and the heart, possess not only defined shapes but also defined chirality, which is essential for their function. Previous research has shown that molecular chirality can play a decisive role. At the same time, some organs, such as the vertebrate heart or most Drosophila organs, exhibit tissue-intrinsic handedness. How does molecular chirality influence cellular decision-making and collective behavior to generate organ-level asymmetry?

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To investigate mesenchymal sculpting morphogenesis, we use the Drosophila testis as our primary model. In the future, we aim to complement this with semi-synthetic systems and organoid models. In Drosophila, the testis is shaped by a migrating mesenchymal population of muscle precursors that form conical spirals of consistent chirality. How do these muscle cells coordinate to achieve such a structure, and how do they break symmetry? And how do these processes emerge mechanically at the tissue level?