Synthetic chemistry revolutionized chemistry via a “create-to-understand” approach that enabled the modern-day pharmaceutical industries. Synthetic approach to embryogenesis (Synthetic developmental biology) can offer a similar path to study development, providing a bottom-up engineering approach via design-build-test cycles. It involves building de novo developmental trajectories or engineering control in stem cell-derived multicellular systems.

Robust, scalable and easy to use models of embryogenesis will be central for real-time interrogation of developmental processes. Our research in this area aim to develop novel models to study embryogenesis in vitro. We are interested to understand the robustness of natural developmental systems, underpin fate-form-function relationships and why in some cases this processes fail to produce the expected outcomes. This knowledge will be key to understand disease processes and for the development of novel therapeutics.