Vincent Rodin, Anne Jeannin-Girardon, Abdoulaye Sarr, Jérémy
Rivière, Alexandra Fronville and Pascal Ballet.
A multiagent approach for virtual tissue morphogenesis.
The 2nd Symposium on Complex Biodynamics & Networks, page 54,
Tsuruoka (Japan), 11-13 may 2015.
Abstract:
We present here an approach of virtual tissue morphogenesis mainly based on
multiagent modelization and simulation. Computer simulations must be efficient
and provide the possibility to simulate large tissue containing thousands of
virtual cells. In our work, these cells are represented by agents which are
able to modify their membrane shapes thanks to a biomechanical model based on
a mass/spring system. These agents are also able to exhibit basic cell
behaviors such as cell motility, mitosis and adhesion. They also have the
capacity to evaluate the compression/stretching and shearing forces applied to
them. Let us note that, in order to achieve the computation of thousands of
virtual cells, we propose a parallel implementation of our simulator using the
OpenCL framework which allows the use of various architectures such as Graphic
Cards or Multi-Core Processors. In order to achieve a specific tissue form
during morphogenesis, we set the hypothesis that beyond the influence of
mechanical forces and gene expression, spatial constraints applied to the
cells over time play a key role in the acquisition of a specific form.
We consider that, at the early stage of embryogenesis, these constraints are
implied in the fundamental principles of form emergence. In our model, it is
due to these constraints that cells choose a particular direction while
dividing, migrate or die. Our approach of morphogenesis based on constraints
has been used to get effectively all possible phenotypes at any stage of the
early embryogenesis and their associated genotypes. Such work allows us to do
some pattern prediction and to define novel properties on tissues for the
purpose of classification.
[link]
[Rodin15a.pdf],
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