A visualization tool for studying the development of the moss Physcomitrella patens

The investigation of mechanisms responsible for the morphogenesis of complex biological organisms is an important area in biology. P. patens is an especially suitable plant for this research because it is a rather simple organism, facilitating its observation, yet it possesses developmental phenomena analogous to those which occur in higher plants, allowing the extrapolation of hypotheses to more complex organisms. The visualization consists of three components: biological data collection, computer-modelling (using L-systems), and model verification. The simulated developmental process is quite realistic and provides an excellent means for verifying the underlying hypotheses of morphogenesis.