The goal of this proposal is to develop new computational paradigms for self-assembly, inspired by how living cells self-assemble highly patterned but adaptive three-dimensional (3D) structures during tissue morphogenesis. We will apply these paradigms to engineer man-made systems that require decentralized coordination and structure formation - for example, programming swarms of robots that assemble temporary scaffolds, space enclosures, and physical distribution networks that may be used for various construction and industrial applications in the future. We will also apply these models to directly study tissue morphogenesis - for example, to investigate how local mechanical and chemical cues can cause global adaptation of tissue morphology and even switching of morphology in endothelial cells. Through this effort, we aim to better understand how genetic information and environmental cues combine at the agent ("cell") level, to generate structures that exhibit optimized form and function at the whole-system level.
