Getting back on track: exploiting canalization to uncover the mechanisms of developmental robustness

Abstract

Developing embryos can adapt dynamically to noise and variation to generate organs of incredible precision, a process termed ‘canalization’; however, the underlying robustness mechanisms are poorly understood. Technological developments, both in quantitative imaging and high precision perturbation, are now enabling targeted investigation into developmental robustness in vivo. Here, we will first distil the common design features of studies that have exploited the canalization behaviour of specific systems to interrogate developmental adaptation, to provide a general experimental framework for future investigations in other contexts. We will then highlight, using a selection of recent case studies, how this approach is revealing that tissues and embryos can fix themselves in unexpected ways.