Stem cells - communication as a means of self-discovery 

Just a few weeks a completely new organism develops from a fertilised egg cell. It is almost a miracle when complex structures form from a bunch of stem cells as if by magic, without a blueprint or any further intervention. But stem cells do not leave their fate to pure chance: they live in an active, social community that is characterised by constant consultation. Our research on stem cells in the test tube shows how cells communicate with each other and how they encode and decode complex messages.