Evolving gene regulatory networks for cellular morphogenesis

The generation of pattern and form in a developing organism results from a combination of interacting processes, guided by a programme en- coded in its genome. The unfolding of this programme involves a complex interplay of gene regulation and inter-cellular signalling, as well as the mechanical processes of cell growth, division and movement. In this study we present an integrated modelling framework for simulating multicellular morphogenesis that includes plausible models of both genetic and cellular processes, using leaf morphogenesis as an example. We present results of an experiment designed to investigate the contribution that genetic control of cell growth and division makes to the performance of a developing system.