Capturing nematic order on tissue surfaces of arbitrary geometry.

ABSTRACT: A leading paradigm for understanding the large-scale behavior of tissues is via generalizations of liquid crystal physics; much like liquid crystals, tissues combine fluid-like, viscoelastic behaviors with local orientational order, such as nematic symmetry. Whilst aspects of quantitative agreement have been achieved for flat monolayers, the most striking features of tissue morphogenesis-including symmetry breaking, folding and invagination-concern surfaces with complex curved geometries in three dimensions. As yet, however, characterizing such behaviors has been frustrated due to the absence of proper image analysis methods; current state-of-the-art methods almost exclusively rely on two-dimensional intensity projections of multiple image planes, which superimpose data and lose geometric

SUBMITTER: Eckert J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12356910 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature