PROJECT A14
Dynamic and Spatiotemporal Control of Notch Signaling for Assembling Precise Multicellular Structures
The assembly of new tissues from the bottom-up starting from cells as the basic building block is a new approach to tissue engineering with great potential in regenerative medicine. Engineering microtissues requires the correct organization of different cell types and their cell to cell communication. Here, we aim to use the power of Notch signaling for building multicellular structures and dynamically control contact dependent cell to cell signaling with high precision in space and time. Using a light controlled version of the Notch pathway, we will investigate the dynamics and importance of the spatiotemporal regulation in Notch signaling as well as the interplay with cell-cell adhesions during pattern formation in multicellular structures. The principles of programming multicellular structures using engineered cells will pave the way to rationally customize cell sensing/response pathways that direct the formation of desired multicellular architectures.
