Modeling the Mechanics of Plant Morphogenesis

The study of morphogenesis focuses on the combination of processes underlying the formation of shape in tissues, organs and whole organisms. In plants, cells cannot move with respect to one another. This makes morphogenesis a symplastic process which necessarily involves finely regulated cell growth and differentiation. How mechanical and genetic factors are integrated to influence plant morphogenesis is still poorly understood. For this purpose, a modeling framework based on FEM has been developed. It facilitates integrated simulations of mechanics, genetic signaling and their interactions at cellular and tissue level in realistic templates. In this talk I will introduce this framework and highlight its utility via its application to several problems arising at the interface of morphogenesis and plant biomechanics.

Gabriella Mosca-She is a Post-Doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research. Her research focuses on the application of FEM simulations to plant development. She obtained a Ph.D. from the Institute of Plant Sciences in Bern, where she focused on the application of continuum mechanics to biological problems. Previously, she studied physics at the University of Insubria, Como.