Date: 2023-11-24 9:00-10:30 (JST) Kanazawa University online zoom link

Speaker: Matthew Smart（Flatiron institute）

Title: Dynamical systems in multicellular development: applications and new directions

Abstract: In this talk, I will discuss aspects of multicellular development from the perspective of dynamical systems, focusing on two problems related to growth and patterning of cellular networks [1, 2]. In both cases, the state of a single cell is treated as a nonlinear dynamical system, and systems of many cells are modeled as networks of interacting copies. First, I will describe our recent work on the assembly of small cellular networks that are critical for animal reproduction. We treat cells as simple oscillators and allow each oscillator to replicate after completing a cycle, thereby enabling network growth. By modifying three key parameters, the model synthesizes data from a broad range of naturally occurring cellular networks, thus establishing a foundation for theoretical extensions and experimental validation. Next, I will discuss associative memory models of multistable gene expression states in individual cells (i.e., cell types). Local interactions on networks of identical cells can produce rich tissue patterns, which we study numerically for the case of random interactions. Together, these works suggest the study of “growing” dynamical networks where cell-level events (e.g., limit cycles, attractor switching) can influence the number of interacting copies, thereby enabling hierarchical self-organization.

[1] A model of replicating coupled oscillators generates naturally occurring cell networks. https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.14338

[2] Emergent properties of collective gene-expression patterns in multicellular systems. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2023.101247