ERC Starting Grant · 2024
Beyond Turing: Reaction-diffusion mechanisms of embryonic self-organization
Developing embryos display a remarkable capacity for self-organization, generating diverse shapes, patterns and structures de novo. First conceived in the 1950s, Turing’s reaction-diffusion hypothesis proposes that this self-organization is driven by interacting and diffusing signalling molecules. Indeed, mathematical Turing models recapitulate patterning in silico. However, key limitations cast doubt on the relevance of Turing models in vivo. First, current models are highly simplified and extremely fragile, at odds with the highly reproducible nature of embryonic development. Second, Turing mechanisms form repetitive patterns (e.g., fingers), whereas many in vivo patterns do not repeat.…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.