EMBO | EMBL Symposia: Epithelia: The Building Blocks of Multicellularity

Epithelia are the major building blocks of tissues. Specialised epithelial cells constitute the dominant executors of tissue-specific physiological functions. Epithelia are also the main drivers of wound repair, and - not surprisingly - they are also the source of most cancers. Epithelial biology is studied from different perspectives and by different cell-biological sub-disciplines. Yet, it is obvious that a comprehensive understanding of epithelial function can only result from the integration of insights that emanate from these different fields: stem cell biology, polarity and morphogenesis, EMT, adhesion, barrier function, motility, uptake and secretion.