CRC 1348 - A14: Dynamic and spatiotemporal control of Notch and Plexin signaling for assembling precise multicellular structures

Basic data for this project

Description

The bottom-up assembly of new tissues starting from single cells is a powerful approach in tissue engineering. Here, we will develop light-controlled versions of Notch and Plexin signaling, two key pathways involved in tissue organization. By combining these optogenetic tools with micropatterned biomimetic surfaces, we aim to investigate how receptor-ligand interaction dynamics and clustering impact on signaling and cell-cell adhesions. This approach will allow us to uncover the role of Plexin signaling in tumor microenvironments and cancer metastasis, and to rationally guide the formation of 3D multicellular structures.