All multicellular organisms possess a complex repertoire of organs, each with distinct architecture and function. Understanding how different organs form and sustain their function throughout life remains a fundamental question in cell and developmental biology, with significant implications for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Organ formation and homeostasis rely on a series of tightly regulated cellular processes – including proliferation, adhesion, migration, invasion, and fate specification – which are also critical during tissue repair and regeneration. When these processes go awry, the consequences can be severe, leading to developmental disorders, organ dysfunction, or even diseases such as cancer metastasis.

These cellular events are guided by both molecular and mechanical signals. While genetic regulators are well recognized as key orchestrators, physical forces – such as contraction of subcellular actomyosin machinery, the mechanical stress exerted by neighbouring cells, shear stress or the stiffness of the extracellular environment –  play equally crucial roles. Nevertheless, much remains unclear in the context of 3D organ development, particularly how these biochemical and mechanical signals integrate at the cell and tissue level to shape organ architecture and function. Hence, our long-term goal is to decipher how these multiscale interactions sculpt a 3D organ and influence its function.

Development of the reproductive organ in C. elegans is an attractive model to study organogenesis. The C. elegans gonad is amenable to live imaging, biophysical approaches to perturb or measure forces, and fast high throughput screening . Moreover, its development is analogous to morphogenesis of tubular organs like mammary glands, lungs, and kidney. Using this model system, our future research will focus on three specific questions:

(1) What is the role of mechanical force in defining cell shape and tissue architecture during organ development and homeostasis?

(2) How do mechanics influence germ cell fate specification during gametogenesis?

(3) How does the mechanical microenvironment defined by the extracellular matrix affect gonad morphogenesis?