Mechanobiological approaches to synthetic morphogenesis: learning by building

Tissue morphogenesis occurs in a complex physicochemical microenvironment with limited experimental accessibility. This often prevents a clear identification of the processes that govern the formation of a given functional shape. By applying state-of-the-art methods to minimal tissue systems, synthetic morphogenesis aims to engineer the discrete events that are necessary and sufficient to build specific tissue shapes. Here, we review recent advances in synthetic morphogenesis, highlighting how a combination of microfabrication and mechanobiology is fostering our understanding of how tissues are built.

Automated summary

Synthetic morphogenesis aims to engineer the necessary and sufficient events for building tissue shapes by applying advanced methods to minimal tissue systems. This review highlights recent advances in synthetic morphogenesis, emphasizing the combination of microfabrication and mechanobiology in deepening our understanding of tissue development.