Active torque generation for spiralian chiral cleavage

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Stephan Wolfgang Grill; Dr. Pavel Tomancak
• Subject Area: Developmental Biology ; Biophysics ; Evolutionary Cell and Developmental Biology (Zoology)
• Term: from 2016 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 329387627

Spiralians rely on highly synchronous and stereotypic chiral patterns of early divisions. For each cleavage, the axis of cell division rotates in an alternating clockwise and anti-clockwise manner, thereby ensuring that clonal lineages of cells stay together. Here we will combine experiment and theory in an effort to understand the physical basis of chiral divisions in spiralians. Our preliminary experiments reveal that these cleavages are accompanied by chiral flows, and we wish to reveal the genetic underpinning of these cellular events as well as the forces and torques that drive these chiral rearrangements. Our work will reveal ancient common physical principles that shape the formation of complex multicellular organisms.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants