Inviter：叶方富 研究员（fye@iphy.ac.cn）

Abstract:
Morphogenesis requires the precise coordination of cellular flows and mechanical forces to sculpt the developing embryo. Active matter theories allow to address the fundamental mechanisms behind this interplay. By integrating 3D microscopy and force measurements with a shear decomposition method for curved surfaces, we investigate the mechanics of sea urchin gastrulation and reveal that emergent nematic order primarily drives tissue remodeling. Using nematic active surface simulations, we theoretically demonstrate how these ordered domains direct morphogenetic flows. We then discuss how signaling waves guide nematic rearrangements in osteoblast monolayers to drive the formation of chiral Bouligand structure in the bone. We show that a coupling between two nematic orders and waves of signaling activity can account for the process of bone formation.

About the speaker:
Guillaume Salbreux is a Full Professor at the University of Geneva whose work bridges theoretical physics and biology. Following his 2008 doctorate from the Curie Institute and research leadership at the Max Planck and Francis Crick Institutes, he develops theoretical frameworks that fundamentally advance the physics of active matter. Working closely with experimentalists, his theoretical research provides mechanistic explanations for embryonic development, connecting biological behaviors across molecular, cellular, and tissue scales.