Dynamic Image-Based Modelling of Kidney Branching Morphogenesis

Kidney branching morphogenesis has been studied extensively, but the mechanism that defines the branch points is still elusive. Here we obtained a 2D movie of kidney branching morphogenesis in culture to test different models of branching morphogenesis with physiological growth dynamics. We carried out image segmentation and calculated the displacement fields between the frames. The models were subsequently solved on the 2D domain, that was extracted from the movie. We find that Turing patterns are sensitive to the initial conditions when solved on the epithelial shapes. A previously proposed diffusion-dependent geometry effect allowed us to reproduce the growth fields reasonably well, both for an inhibitor of branching that was produced in the epithelium, and for an inducer of branching that was produced in the mesenchyme. The latter could be represented by Glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), which is expressed in the mesenchyme and induces outgrowth of ureteric branches. Considering that the Turing model represents the interaction between the GDNF and its receptor RET very well and that the model reproduces the relevant expression patterns in developing wildtype and mutant kidneys, it is well possible that a combination of the Turing mechanism and the geometry effect control branching morphogenesis

Nanoparticle-electrode collision processes:Investigating the contact time required for the diffusion-controlled monolayer underpotential deposition on impacting nanoparticles

Recent work on faradaic processes occurring during thermal nanoparticle-electrode collisions contrasts significantly from analogous research using ultrasonically-driven microparticles, where no faradaic signals were found. It is suggested that this might be explained by the differences in both particle size and contact time. To investigate this, we present results from adapted Monte Carlo random walk simulations. Using the underpotential deposition of thallium onto silver nanoparticles as a model system, it is found that an estimated minimum contact time of ca. 10-4 s is required to deposit a complete monolayer (from a 10 mM solution) onto a nanoparticle of radius 45 nm. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved