Information Flow
How do mechanics and chemical signalling relate to the function of an organism or physical system?
Using statistical mechanics and information theory, we ask how chemical and mechanical processes transmit information across a complex system to facilitate its function.
Genes provide the code for the development of an organism. Yet, how this microscopic code is communicated as a physical blueprint across the organism in order to facilitate specialization of specific features or organs, is not well understood. In particular, it remains unclear how the interplay between genetic signalling (which promotes the differentiation of tissues) and mechanical forces (which provide feedback and control of such signalling) evolve continuously across various stages of development.
We study various living and active matter systems using a variety of theoretical and computational methods to reveal aspects of this broad question.