Understanding the self-assembly of the nervous system of Hydra vulgaris – REBIRTH

Self-assembly of biological organisms is fascinating as, somehow, bodies put themselves together without external directions, to yield robust, resilient and adaptive living systems. This is particular dramatic in the cnidarian Hydra vulgaris, a small and transparent polyp with unique regenerative properties, demonstrated in the ability to completely regenerate itself after its body has been dissociated into individual cells. To understand the physical and biological principles underlying this self assembly, we propose a collaboration between theoreticians and experimentalists that will focus on the nervous system of the animal. We will image the activity of every neuron and muscle cell during reaggregation of Hydra, and analyze it with novel imaging, statistical and mathematical tools, correlating the emergent of phase transitions in the neuronal and muscle activity with the appearance of specific behaviors.