The 2018-2019 lecture, " Mechanics of morphogenesis : time, space, information " continues and extends the theme initiated last year on the biochemical and mechanical origins of forms. This year, the lecture builds on the mechanical foundations of morphogenesis seen in 2017-2018 to understand the origin of the three-dimensional organization of cells and tissues. What is the nature of biological information, and how does this information unfold during development ? Taking a historical approach to key concepts, the lecture will report on the decisive scientific advances that have made it possible to understand the " language of forms ".
The lecture will extend the traditional concept that genes contain all morphogenetic information. It will show how, more broadly, biochemistry, mechanics and geometry work together to parameterize space and time within biological structures, and how the spatial and temporal patterns of morphogenesis emerge.