The structure and patterning of branching morphogenesis in the developing kidney

Branching morphogenesis is a developmental mechanism which many organisms employ to build their developing organs, such as the kidney, lung and mammary glands. It is driven by the elaboration of an epithelial primordium within a supportive and instructive mesenchyme. A full understanding of branching morphogenesis is hampered by the complex 3-dimensional structures it generates and by the challenges in imaging this process using conventional microscopy. In this application we combine novel imaging approaches and our expertise in mathematical modeling in 3D space to profile the normal and abnormal development of the kidney, thereby providing an unprecedented picture of organ development.