An embryonic lung transforms into a tree-like structure through a developmental process known as branching morphogenesis. How these delicate, complex structures form in a growing animal is still not well understood. Boston University postdoctoral fellow Ian Kinstlinger, Ph.D., captured the continuous growth of lungs taken from a developing mouse, taking microscope images every three hours to show lung growth over the course of several days. In these images, specialized epithelial cells on the lung’s surface express a green fluorescent protein. Between the branches, black spaces are filled with soft mesenchyme cells, not visible in these images. These cells send signals to epithelial cells, promoting their growth and migration. In response, the surface epithelial cells release their own molecules, creating a back-and-forth signaling system that guides the lung structure’s development. Allen Distinguished Investigators Darrell Kotton, Ph.D., Wilson Wong, Ph.D., and their teams at Boston University aim to explore this process to gain insights into lung development and develop strategies to improve lung health. – Haylee Jarrett

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