Ethological dynamics in diorama environments

The goal of this study is to elucidate the mutual interactions between cells and three-dimensional (3D) topography in multicellular organisms. In recent years, bioengineering studies have revealed that cells can sense and respond to 3D topography in vitro. Multicellular organisms have various types of 3D topography formed by the cells. In the previous project in this field, we demonstrated that cells also respond to 3D topography in vivo and have been working on understanding the underlying mechanisms. This project will focus on multiple biological phenomena where cell-topography interactions likely play a crucial role. Using integrative approaches of mathematical modeling and experiments, we aim to elucidate the interactions between cells and 3D topography realized by cellular proto-intelligence, thereby exploring the physiological significance of the resultant tissue structure.