The biomechanics of morphogenesis

Morphogenesis and growth are processes driven by genetic and signaling networks. Although many genetic components controlling plant organ shape have been identified, how they control the mechanical properties of cells remains elusive. In animal systems recent studies have shown that mechanical forces can feed back on genetic programs and even appear to be capable of influencing cell fate. Do such feedbacks exist in plants? What is the role of mechanics in morphogenesis? We address these questions by combining the expertise of physicists, biologists and computational modelers.