This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nguyen, B. Articles by Brenner, M. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nguyen, B. Articles by Brenner, M. P.

Elastic Instability in Growing Yeast Colonies

Baochi Nguyen ^*, Arpita Upadhyaya , Alexander van Oudenaarden  and Michael P. Brenner 

Department of ^* Mathematics and Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Correspondence: Address reprint requests to Professor Michael P. Brenner, Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA 02458. Tel.: 617-495-3336; E-mail: brenner{at}deas.harvard.edu.

The differential adhesion between cells is believed to be the major driving force behind the formation of tissues. The idea is that an aggregate of cells minimizes the overall adhesive energy between cell surfaces. We demonstrate in a model experimental system that there exist conditions where a slowly growing tissue does not minimize this adhesive energy. A mathematical model demonstrates that the instability of a spherical shape is caused by the competition between elastic and surface energies.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. B. Reynolds, A. Jansen, X. Peng, and G. R. Fink Mat Formation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Requires Nutrient and pH Gradients Eukaryot. Cell, January 1, 2008; 7(1): 122 - 130. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]