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Developmental biology

Holding it together in the eye

To form tissues, like cells must clump together. The striking resemblance between one cell aggregate in flies and a cluster of soap bubbles points to a crucial role for surface mechanics in biological pattern formation.

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Figure 1: View of a fruitfly's eye (and more).

D. SCHARF/SPL

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Janmey, P., Discher, D. Holding it together in the eye. Nature 431, 635–636 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/431635a

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