Computational Morphodynamics: A Modeling Framework to Understand Plant Growth

Computational morphodynamics utilizes computer modeling to understand the development of living organisms over space and time. Results from biological experiments are used to construct accurate and predictive models of growth. These models are then used to make novel predictions that provide further insight into the processes involved, which can be tested experimentally to either confirm or rule out the validity of the computational models. This review highlights two fundamental challenges: (a) to understand the feedback between mechanics of growth and chemical or molecular signaling, and (b) to design models that span and integrate single cell behavior with tissue development. We review different approaches to model plant growth and discuss a variety of model types that can be implemented to demonstrate how the interplay between computational modeling and experimentation can be used to explore the morphodynamics of plant development.