The evolutionary origins of developmental programs

The evolution of multicellular organisms fundamentally shaped the biosphere by giving rise to complex forms of life that operate across tremendous scales. Yet, not all forms of multicellularity are complex, remaining simple groups of undifferentiated cells.

One innovation underlying all complex multicellularity is a developmental program that coordinates expression of traits and cell types throughout a multicellular life cycle.

While much is known about how developmental programs may be modified to generate diverse forms of life, little is known about their origins.

The central aim of this proposal is to address this significant knowledge gap.In the face of limited empirical / experimental systems, we propose a novel theoretical approach combining varied techniques including spatially-explicit models, evolutionary simulations, and metabolic networks.

These techniques allow us to examine the roles of information, spatial structure, and unicellular history to determine the likely structure of early developmental programs and the conditions promoting their evolution.

The proposed work will be tackled by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at Umeå University and Dalarna University over a 4-year time span.

The project leader will coordinate all research, supervise students, and develop external collaborations.Ultimately, the proposed research will connect the thread of complexity between simple groups of cells and multicellular organisms.