The apicomedial actomyosin network is crucial for generating mechanical forces in epithelial cells. Pulsatile, oscillatory behaviour of this contractile network occurs in multiple organisms and contexts, for example during mouse embryo compaction or Xenopus neurulation. However, the emergence and control of such pulsed contractions are not fully understood. Here, we study pulsed contractions of larval epithelial cells (LECs) during development of the abdomen in fruit flies. Specifically, we combine in vivo 4D microscopy and simulations of an active elastomer to investigate subcellular spatial patterns of actomyosin dynamics. Our model quantitatively matches in vivo observations and identifies cell geometry and polarity as key contributors to in vivo actomyosin dynamics. Moreover, our findings support the notion that spatiotemporal oscillatory behaviour of the actomyosin network is an emergent property, rather than driven by upstream signalling.

I will additionally give a brief overview of other dynamic phenomena in cell biology that my collaborators and I have studied, such as ultradian (i.e. faster-than-circadian) oscillations in gene expression.

Throughout, I will highlight open challenges for data-driven approaches in cell biology.