Bone Morphogenetic Proteins regulate spatial patterning and differentiation in many stages of development and in many tissue types and organisms. We quantified BMP signaling activity in dorsal/ventral (DV) axis patterning in zebrafish embryos and in the developing mouse inner ear organ of corti. We developed AI tools to segment every cell in the developing tissues and used the data to build and test simulations of the developing structures. Through this we identified that a source-sink mechanism of BMP patterning is consistent with both zebrafish embryonic development and in the developing organ of corti in mouse.
Furthermore, we found that the BMP gradient forms an information-maximizing linear profile sufficient for multiple boundary specification along the developing organ of corti needed for precise hair cell placement. These systems highlight how the back-and-forth between experiment and simulation drives an integrative understanding of developmental systems, which is the foundation of the new NSF EMBRIO Institute.
David M. Umulis is senior vice provost and chief academic officer for Purdue University in Indianapolis, the University’s first comprehensive urban campus and a direct extension of the Purdue West Lafayette flagship campus. Umulis joined the Purdue faculty in 2008, and is an impactful research leader, a widely respected mentor to young faculty colleagues and an administrator with a proven track record.
His research integrates simulation and imaging to discover mechanisms of Bone Morphogenetic Protein regulation in development. His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and Showalter Foundation, among others. Concurrent with his role in the Provost’s Office, Umulis also serves as PI and Director of the NSF EMBRIO Institute, an integrative multidisciplinary institute composed of six universities. The NSF EMBRIO Institute uses engineering, imaging, AI and organismal biology to uncover mechanisms of wound healing and cellular defense.
Umulis is also a Senior Research Fellow in the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue. In this role he is able to mix his disciplinary expertise in bioengineering with his understanding and experience in Asia to develop materials and inform policy makers in synthetic biology as it relates to emerging technologies, biosecurity, pandemic preparedness, and biotechnology.