You know that unpleasant feeling of the rush-hour commute, when you barely have any breathing room? Turns out that for stem cells, such tight spaces are a catalyst for sophisticated organization. As a team of researchers in Ottawa found, being packed like sardines helps stem cells organize into structures crucial for early mammalian life. Authors conclude that physical confinement is a simple yet effective way of cell generation.
Authors:
Sebastian V. Hadjiantoniou, David Sean, Maxime Ignacio, Michel Godin, Gary W. Slater, Andrew E. Pelling
Corresponding Canadian author:
Andrew Pelling, University of Ottawa, Gendron Hall, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
Original paper published in Journal of the Royal Society Interface on October 25, 2016.
