An extensive numerical simulation of the cephalic furrow formation in Drosophila embryo

Abstract

Here, we propose a new finite element model of the Drosophila embryo to simulate the cephalic furrow (CF) formation. Two different 3D geometries are introduced to reproduce the embryo. The two of them are parametrised through a novel system of curvilinear coordinates, well adapted for biological structures, which is obtained by three fictive electrostatic potentials. A gradient decomposition method is used to take into account both the active and the passive deformations occurring to the cells. Four simulations of the CF are proposed, which in turn considers singular and coupled aspects of the problem.

Keywords:

• embryogenesis
• cell mechanics
• finite elements method