PROJECT B06
Cell-Cell Interactions Controlling Organ Shape
The precise positioning of organ progenitor cells constitutes an essential, yet poorly understood step in organogenesis. Using zebrafish primordial germ cells (PGCs) as an in vivo model for this process, we study the cellular interactions that contribute to the organization of this cell population with respect to other cells and structures in the embryo, processes that shape the early developing gonad. The proposed project will first focus on establishing a pipeline for quantitative analysis of cell shape and intracellular organisation employing artificial intelligence–based tools. This will be followed by an analysis of interactions among the germ cells themselves and between them and other cell types that culminate in the correct 3-dimensional positioning of the cells at their migration target and form a functional organ.
