# Physical aspects of Drosophila Gastrulation

> **NIH NIH R01** · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · $354,732

## Abstract

The proper function of organisms, their organs, and their tissues requires them to have specific
shape. How this shape is specified and maintained is a fundamental question in biology. In
animals, the shape is determined through the process of morphogenesis, a concerted sequence
of tissue remodeling events leading up to the final body plan. Despite a long-standing effort to
understand the physical mechanisms that underlie morphogenesis, these mechanisms still
remain largely unknown. Basic considerations from physics imply that in order to completely
determine the mechanism of a morphogenetic change, two pieces of information are absolutely
required: (1) material/mechanical properties of the tissue, and (2) the active forces that drive
tissue deformation. Using Drosophila gastrulation as a model, and by combining biophysical,
molecular, and modeling methods, we propose an approach sufficient to determine both.
Recent work from our group and others has begun the process of quantifying the mechanical
properties of tissues as whole. However, it has become clear that mechanical properties vary in
different cellular regions (apical vs basal etc.), and that understanding these differences is
crucial for correctly understanding and accurately predicting morphogenesis. In Aim 1, we
expand upon our previously established techniques for measuring tissue mechanics, and apply
them to directly measure viscous and elastic properties of the apical, lateral, and basal cellular
compartments separately. In Aim 2, we will incorporate these measurements into a
comprehensive computational model to explain large-scale tissue behaviors based on these
microscopic measurements. From this model, we will also be able to extract the spatial and
temporal force profiles driving tissue morphogenesis in the early embryo. In Aim 3 we will
assess the predictive power of our model to predict mutant phenotypes, and we will also begin
identifying the molecular players that contribute to specific mechanical features such as
elasticity and mechanical memory. In summary, successful completion of the project will for the
first time establish a comprehensive biophysical mechanism of a key model system. Both the
techniques and general approach developed here will be applicable to a wide variety of tissue
morphogenesis processes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10979642
- **Project number:** 2R01GM134207-06
- **Recipient organization:** UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Konstantin Doubrovinski
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $354,732
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2019-07-08 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10979642

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10979642, Physical aspects of Drosophila Gastrulation (2R01GM134207-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10979642. Licensed CC0.

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