The Hungry Tissue Lab was established in 2022 by Dr John Robert Davis. It is part of the Division of Molecular and Cellular Function at the University of Manchester. 

​

The lab is fascinated by how tissues acquire the correct size and shape during development, a process known as morphogenesis. Morphogenesis involves cells growing through cell divisions and generating forces to shape the tissue. During embryogenesis when tissues form, cells have a limited pool of nutrients available to them. However, cells need to use these nutrients to both generate energy to fuel a variety of cellular processes and to generate important molecules such as nucleotides and proteins to proliferate. We are interested in understanding how cells navigate constantly changing environments to make tissues the correct size and shape, balancing the competing demands of energy production and growth. We do this through combining live-microscopy, image analysis and mathematical modelling of morphogenesis, as well as biophysical approaches to measure and alter tissue mechanics.