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SUMMARY:Deciphering the principles of epithelial tissue organization - Del
 phine Delacour
DTSTART:20260309T143000Z
DTEND:20260309T153000Z
UID:TALK241609@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Jia CHEN
DESCRIPTION:Delphine Delacour  \n\nAffiliation: Institut de Biologie du D
 éveloppement de Marseille (Marseille Developmental Biology Institute) \n\
 nTitle: Deciphering the principles of epithelial tissue organization \n\nA
 bstract:  \n\nEpithelia constitute the primary physical barrier against ex
 ternal insults while simultaneously ensuring organ function. Defects in ep
 ithelial assembly or function lead to a broad spectrum of pathological con
 ditions\, ranging from rare developmental disorders to cancer. Despite the
 ir fundamental importance\, the mechanisms by which epithelial cells coord
 inate individual behaviors across entire tissues to ensure spatial organiz
 ation\, integrity\, and function remain poorly understood. To date\, epith
 elial coherence has been studied predominantly in invertebrate systems or 
 in transformed cell lines\, limiting our understanding of its regulation i
 n physiological mammalian contexts. \n\nThe intestinal epithelium represen
 ts an exceptional model to address these questions. It is one of the most 
 rapidly renewing tissues in mammals and is continuously exposed to challen
 ges. Its homeostasis relies on the precise balance between cell proliferat
 ion\, differentiation\, migration\, and death. However\, the cellular and 
 developmental principles governing intestinal tissue organization and main
 tenance remain largely unexplored. \n\nThe main objective of our project i
 s to elucidate how functional domains of the intestinal epithelium are est
 ablished\, maintained\, and coordinated in space and time. Specifically\, 
 we aim to: 1) understand the mechanisms that preserve the integrity of the
  proliferative compartment and determine their role in crypt morphogenesis
  and maintenance\; and 2) uncover epithelial connectivity and collective b
 ehavior within the differentiated compartment\, both under homeostatic con
 ditions and in response to perturbations. \n\nA major strength of this pro
 ject lies in its integrative and comparative strategy\, combining in vivo 
 and in vitro murine models with human disease-relevant systems. The projec
 t brings together advanced approaches in cell and developmental biology\, 
 tissue engineering\, histology\, molecular biology\, biophysics\, and comp
 utational modeling. This multidisciplinary framework will enable the ident
 ification of adaptive mechanisms by which epithelial cells polarize\, self
 -organize\, and dynamically regulate their fate in response to their envir
 onment\, with broad implications for developmental biology\, regenerative 
 medicine\, and disease pathology. \n\nKey words: Tissue morphogenesis\, mo
 use intestine\, intestinal organoids\, cytoskeleton\, mechanics 
LOCATION:Online
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