Cells have keen ears

We humans are made up of millions of cells that need to coordinate with each other. In an interdisciplinary team of developmental biologists, brain researchers, and physicists, we are investigating how cells exchange information in order to organize themselves. We show that cells have keen ears – they “hear” mechanical signals in order to work together in the embryo. In doing so, they use the same molecular mechanisms that are important for our hearing. This cellular “whispering” controls shape formation, protects tissue from deformation, and is crucial for successful development.