My project focuses on how cells change shape during development and how multiple different cell types organise to give rise to a functional epithelial tissue. Specifically, I am focussing on the mechanisms that regulate cell shape at the basal (bottom) surface and how the basal surface of an epithelium contributes to organogenesis. For this, I am using the Drosophila retina, which is advantageous due to its powerful genetic toolkit, enabling the manipulation of genes/proteins in a living animal. I am combining this with multiple imaging methods (Confocal, spinning disc, lightsheet, and super-resolution microscopy) to understand morphogenesis at the molecular level and how this leads to changes in cell and organ shape. I am also using image analysis, such as 2D and 3D segmentation, to analyse how different perturbations lead to changes in cell and organ shape.