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SUMMARY:Phase transitions in early development - Professor C-P. Heisenberg
  &amp\; Professor Edouard Hannezo (IST Vienna)
DTSTART:20210303T170000Z
DTEND:20210303T180000Z
UID:TALK157432@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr. Adrien Hallou
DESCRIPTION:Embryo morphogenesis is impacted by dynamic changes in tissue 
 material properties\, which have been proposed to occur via processes akin
  phase transitions (PTs). Here\, we show that rigidity percolation provide
 s a simple and robust theoretical framework to predict material / structur
 al PTs of embryonic tissues from local cell connectivity. By using percola
 tion theory\, combined with directly monitoring dynamic changes in tissue 
 rheology and cell contact mechanics\, we demonstrate that the zebrafish bl
 astoderm undergoes a genuine rigidity PT\, brought about by a small reduct
 ion in adhesion-dependent cell connectivity below a critical value. We qua
 ntitatively predict and experimentally verify hallmarks of PTs\, including
  power-law exponents and associated discontinuities of macroscopic observa
 bles. Finally\, we show that this uniform PT depends on blastoderm cells u
 ndergoing meta-synchronous divisions causing random and\, consequently\, u
 niform changes in cell connectivity. Collectively\, our theoretical and ex
 perimental findings reveal the structural basis of material PTs in an orga
 nismal context.
LOCATION:Webinar
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