Keeping Up With the Neighbours: Local Synchronisation of Cell Fate Decisions During Development

The document discusses the synchronization of cell fate decisions in multicellular organisms, emphasizing the importance of communication between stem and progenitor cells to coordinate differentiation despite intrinsic and extrinsic variability. It highlights the challenges posed by oscillations and stochastic fluctuations in intrinsic regulators, which can lead to cell-to-cell variability in differentiation responses. The paper explores how cells sense and respond to their neighbors to synchronize their differentiation cues and addresses the technical challenges in identifying these synchronization mechanisms. It also surveys emerging technologies that could help overcome these challenges.