Gene

Quantum mechanics

Cell biology

Turbulence

Chemical physics

Topological defect

Biology

Dynamics (music)

Pattern formation

Biochemistry

Computer science

Acoustics

Active matter

Classical mechanics

Computational biology

Genetics

Thermodynamics

Physics

Instability

Astronomy

Polar

Condensed matter physics

Moment (physics)

Chemistry

Tension (geology)

Surface tension

Mechanics

Nucleation

Biophysics

Morphogenesis

Science Advances

Growing experimental evidence indicates that topological defects could serve as organizing centers in the morphogenesis of tissues. Here, we provide a quantitative explanation for this phenomenon, rooted in the buckling theory of deformable active polar liquid crystals. Using a combination of linear stability analysis and computational fluid dynamics, we demonstrate that active layers, such as confined cell monolayers, are unstable to the formation of protrusions in the presence of disclinations. The instability originates from an interplay between the focusing of the elastic forces, mediated by defects, and the renormalization of the system’s surface tension by the active flow. The posttransitional regime is also characterized by several complex morphodynamical processes, such as oscillatory deformations, droplet nucleation, and active turbulence. Our findings offer an explanation of recent observations on tissue morphogenesis and shed light on the dynamics of active surfaces in general.

Theory of defect-mediated morphogenesis