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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 21, 2025

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis

Published on: June 5, 2018

Quantifying mechanical forces during vertebrate morphogenesis.

Eirini Maniou^1,2,3, Silvia Todros², Anna Urciuolo^1,4,5

¹Developmental Biology and Cancer, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London, UK.

Nature Materials

|July 5, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Scientists developed tiny sensors to measure forces during embryonic development. These sensors revealed forces involved in neural tube closure, crucial for preventing birth defects.

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Last Updated: Jun 21, 2025

Probing the Roles of Physical Forces in Early Chick Embryonic Morphogenesis

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Published on: June 5, 2018

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Published on: November 10, 2023

Area of Science:

Developmental biology
Biophysics
Tissue mechanics

Background:

Embryonic cells generate forces for tissue shaping during morphogenesis.
Dysfunctional force generation can cause congenital malformations.
Quantifying 3D mechanics in developing vertebrates is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and utilize novel micro-scale force sensors for measuring mechanical forces during vertebrate morphogenesis.
To quantify the forces and mechanical work performed by embryonic tissues during neural tube closure.
To investigate the role of active forces in neural tube development.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of elastic spring-like force sensors via intravital 3D bioprinting.
In vivo implantation of sensors within the closing neural tubes of chicken embryos.
Integration of sensor data with computational mechanical modeling.
Pharmacological inhibition of Rho-associated kinase to assess force dynamics.

Main Results:

Direct quantification of forces and work performed by embryonic tissues during morphogenesis.
Measurement of over 100 nano-newtons of compression during neural fold apposition in the closing neural tube.
Identification of active anti-closure forces that oppose neural tube closure.
Demonstration that these anti-closure forces must be overcome for successful neural tube formation.

Conclusions:

The developed bioprinting and sensing technology enables direct quantification of embryonic tissue mechanics.
Active forces play a critical role in regulating neural tube closure.
Understanding these mechanical forces is key to addressing congenital malformations related to morphogenesis.