Optogenetic engineering of tissue budding

ABSTRACT

Background and Purpose: Morphogenesis—the biological process by which tissue acquires its three-dimensional shape—relies on precise spatiotemporal control of cell signaling and mechanical forces. To understand the formation of complex biological structures, it is useful to deconstruct morphogenesis into discrete ‘motifs’. Tissue budding, or evagination, is one such fundamental motif in which a protrusion forms from an initially flat tissue surface, as seen during the formation of feather buds in developing chick embryos.

This project aims to develop a light-inducible optogenetic system to spatiotemporally control the expression of Efnb2 (Ephrin-B2) within a targeted subset of cells, investigating whether localized upregulation of this gene can reliably induce tissue budding. Engineering this system will advance our understanding of the fundamental principles driving tissue morphogenesis and inform future strategies for engineering complex tissues.

Research Question: Can we utilize optogenetics to engineer precisely controlled tissue budding by modulating Ephrin-B2 signaling?

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Prefered disciplines: biological sciencies, biomedical sciences, physics/biophysics.
Soft skills: curiosity and being able to pick-up new technical skills.