The Geitmann Lab investigates how cells in the plant body develop from simple embryonic or stem cells to intricately shaped entities that generate functional tissues and organs. In plants, cell shaping involves the choreographed activity of dynamic intracellular proteins such as actin and microtubules that coordinate the deposition of extracellular macromolecules such as polysaccharides to form and dynamically tune a physically stable extracellular matrix. The lab combines cell biology with micromechanical testing and mechanical modeling to investigate how structural principles underpin fundamental biological processes such as reproduction and photosynthesis.