Using topology, researchers advance understanding of how cells organize themselves

The fact that humans and other living organisms can develop and grow from a single cell relies on a process called embryonic development. For healthy tissue to form, cells in the embryo have to organize themselves in the right way in the right place at the right time. When this process doesn't go right, it can result in birth defects, impaired tissue regeneration or cancer. All of this makes understanding how different cell types organize into a complex tissue architecture one of the most fundamental questions in developmental biology.