An introduction to the physical properties of living active matter at the mesoscopic scale
(tens of nanometers to micrometers) and their unique features compared with “dead,” …

Communication between cells enables them to coordinate their activity and is crucial for the
differentiation, development, and function of tissues and multicellular organisms. Cell-cell …

Morphogenesis of active shells such as cells is a fundamental chemomechanical process
that often exhibits three-dimensional (3D) large deformations and chemical pattern …

Variational methods have been widely used in soft matter physics for both static and
dynamic problems. These methods are mostly based on two variational principles: the …

Mechanical strain is a potent stimulus for growth and remodeling in cells. Although many
pathways have been implicated in stretch-induced remodeling, the control structures by …

Variability is emerging as an integral part of development. It is therefore imperative to ask
how to access the information contained in this variability. Yet most studies of development …

Cell shape is determined by a balance of intrinsic properties of the cell as well as its
mechanochemical environment. Inhomogeneous shape changes underlie many …

Morphogenetic dynamics of tissue sheets require coordinated cell shape changes regulated
by global patterning of mechanical forces. Inspired by such biological phenomena, we …

An important contribution of Gerard Maugin was his study of anelasticity. It is well
appreciated that in biological systems, anelasticity manifests itself through growth and …

Morphogenesis involves the transformation of initially simple shapes, such as multicellular
spheroids, into more complex 3D shapes. These shape changes are governed by …