Guy B. Blanchard

Drosophila axis extension is robust to an orthogonal pull by invaginating mesoderm

The paper investigates how mesoderm invagination affects ectoderm extension during Drosophila gastrulation and finds that cellular mechanisms of axis extension are robust to this mechanical pull.

Embryo-scale epithelial buckling forms a propagating furrow that initiates gastrulation

The paper shows that tissue-scale force balance, not cell-autonomous shape changes, drives epithelial buckling and initiates gastrulation in Drosophila embryos.

Different temporal requirements for the LRR transmembrane receptors Tartan and Toll-2 in the formation of contractile interfaces at compartmental boundaries

The paper identifies different temporal roles for Tartan and Toll-2 LRR receptors in actomyosin enrichment and polarization at parasegmental boundaries in Drosophila embryos.

Correct regionalisation of a tissue primordium is essential for coordinated morphogenesis

The paper investigates how transcriptional patterning and morphogenetic modules coordinate cell behaviors to form a symmetrical tube from an asymmetrical primordium in Drosophila salivary glands.

Embryonic stem cells commit to differentiation by symmetric divisions following a variable lag period

The paper tracks mouse embryonic stem cells during differentiation, finding symmetric divisions and variable lag periods before loss of pluripotency.

The tricellular vertex-specific adhesion molecule Sidekick facilitates polarised cell intercalation during Drosophila axis extension

This study identifies Sidekick as a tricellular adherens junction protein in Drosophila, showing its role in polarized cell intercalation and epithelial integrity during axis extension.

Actomyosin-driven tension at compartmental boundaries orients cell division independently of cell geometry in vivo

The paper shows that localized actomyosin tension at compartment boundaries orients cell division in Drosophila embryos, independent of cell geometry.

Radially-patterned cell behaviours during tube budding from an epithelium

The paper shows that radially oriented directional intercalation of placodal cells contributes to salivary gland tube budding in Drosophila embryos, alongside apical constriction.

Geometry can provide long-range mechanical guidance for embryogenesis

The paper models how geometric features of the Drosophila embryo guide tissue-scale deformations through actomyosin contractility.