Laboratory for Developmental Morphogeometry

Developmental phenomena comprise a multiscalar system extending across a range of spatial scales, from molecular to cellular to histological. Such phenomena are also multiphysical, in that they involve the transmission and reception of positional information through diffusion and reactions of chemicals, and the generation of forces within tissues and concomitant geometric transformations through the proliferation and migration of cells. The Laboratory for Developmental Morphogeometry takes theoretical and experimental approaches to the study of phenomena comprising multiple scales and properties, and the quantitative measurement of dynamic and coordinated interactions between such phenomena.

Research Subjects

• Quantitative imaging and geometrical analysis of organ morphogenetic process
• Space-time recognition of cells in growing tissues
• Mechanical modeling of organ morphogenesis

Systems biological approach to spatial patterning

Publications

1. Y. Morishita and K. Hironaka
   A systems approach to developmental biology - Designs for robust patterning
   IET Systems Biology (in press) (2013)
2. K. Hironaka and Y. Morishita
   Encoding and decoding of positional information in morphogen-dependent patterning
   Current Opinion in Genetics & Development 22: 553-561 (2012)
3. K. Hironaka, Y. Iwasa, and Y. Morishita
   "Multiple feedback loops achieve robust localization of wingless expression in Drosophila notum development"
   Journal of Theoretical Biology 292:18–29 (2012)
4. Y. Morishita and Y. Iwasa
   Coding design of positional information for robust morphogenesis
   Biophysical Journal 101: 2324-2335 (2011)
5. K. Uriu, Y. Morishita, and Y. Iwasa
   Random cell movement promotes synchronization of the segmentation clock
   PNAS 107:4979–4984 (2010)
6. Y. Morishita and Y. Iwasa
   Estimating the spatio-temporal pattern of volumetric growth rate from fate maps in chick limb development
   Developmental Dynamics 238: 415-422 (2009)
7. T. Hirashima, Y. Iwasa, and Y. Morishita
   Mechanisms for Split Localization of Fgf10 Expression in Early Lung Development
   Developmental Dynamics 238:2813–2822 (2009)
8. Y. Morishita and Y. Iwasa
   Growth based morphogenesis of vertebrate limb bud
   Bulletin of Mathematical Biology 70: 1957-1978 (2008)
9. Y. Morishita and Y. Iwasa
   Optimal placement of multiple morphogen sources
   Physical Review E, 77: 041909 (2008)
10. Y. Morishita, T. J. Kobayashi, and K. Aihara
    An Optimal Number of Signaling Molecules for Signal Amplification and Discrimination in a Chemical Cascade
    Biophysical Journal, 91, pp. 2072-2081 (2006)