Living Systems Institute

Harmansa Group

Our latest review article is out!
‘Multiscale biophysical control of epithelial shape transitions during animal development‘ now published in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology.

Check our recent article on the mechanics of squamous morphogenesis now published in Current Biology.

Morphomechanics – Shaping Growing Tissues

Morphogenesis describes the generation of biological form during development. It is an inherently mechanical process in which cellular activities such as contractility and growth generate stresses that shape tissues into their characteristic three-dimensional structures. Proper tissue morphology is essential for organ function, and defects in morphogenesis are linked to developmental disorders and disease.

Our research focuses on the mechanical interplay between growing epithelial tissues and their basement membranes (BMs)—specialised sheet-like extracellular matrices that support and constrain epithelia.

Much like the foundation of a building, the BM provides structural support, and its mechanical and growth properties strongly influence tissue shape. We recently showed that differential growth between an epithelium and its BM generates mechanical stresses that guide tissue morphology (Harmansa et.al. 2023). By combining Drosophila genetics, advanced imaging, quantitative biophysical tools, and data-informed modelling, we aim to uncover how such stresses emerge during growth and how they direct the mechanics of morphogenesis.

For more details on our current research, news and open positions please visit our group’s webpage.

News and Recent Publications

Diverse cell shapes in the Drosophila wing disc – The large cells of the squamous epithelium (blue) overlay the smaller columnar epithelium (magenta).

Open Positions and PhD studentships

We are always looking for motivated PhD students to join our growing research team. There are currently no open PhD studentship calls, but please check back here for future opportunities.

The Morphomechanics group in June 2025 (left to right: Stefan, Jianyi, Anurup & Abhirami)

Want to join our interdisciplinary research group?

Are you excited by the huge diversity of shapes observed in biological systems and how they are generated? Would you like to work in an interdisciplinary environment and bridge between biology, physics and scientific computing? Then come and join our young and dynamic team in beautiful Exeter.
We are always looking for innovative, passionate and motivated undergraduate students, graduate students and postdocs with a strong interested in the biophysical aspects of shape generation during animal development.

In addition to the official openings, we always welcome spontaneous candidatures for internship, master, Ph.D. and postdoc positions. Please get in touch with Stefan if you you would like us to host your own PhD project (e.g. LSI PhD Programme) or postdoctoral fellowship (e.g. Wellcome Early Career Award or HFSP Cross Disciplinary Fellowships).

In general, you can always contact Stefan (s.harmansa@exeter.ac.uk) to inquire about general information and future openings.

Events and Outreach

12th October 2025 – Our group was thrilled to take part in this year’s Futures Event at the Exeter Phoenix, where we hosted an interactive stall celebrating the hidden beauty of flies. We had a fantastic time meeting so many curious and enthusiastic visitors, sharing how these tiny creatures help us understand how living tissues build themselves.
One of the highlights was our hands-on activity “Create Your Own Fly” where children (and quite a few adults!) used colourful play-dough to sculpt their own insects. The creativity on display was amazing, resulting in a whole swarm of wonderfully imaginative, vibrant flies!
A huge thank you to all the young (and not-so-young) artists who joined us — here are a few snapshots capturing the fun and creativity of the day.

Alumni

  • Rosalie Herbert (internship spring 2026)
  • Jessica Jarvis (internship summer 2024)
  • Theodore Natusch (internship summer 2024)