Adriana Dawes is part of a six scientist team that received grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation through the Research Corporation for Science Advancement's conference Scialog: Molecules Come to Life. Early career researchers came together to ask fundamental questions related to how a collection of molecules within a cell can produce the behaviors that we call "life". The funded project will examine how mechanical forces and molecular signals act to regulate epithelial cell extrusion in the simple sea squirt (Botryllus schlosseri). This research will provide a framework to identify distinct mechanical modules that generate adaptive mechanical behavior in living cells. Read more about Scialog and the project at https://www.moore.org/article-detail?newsUrlName=lessons-from-sea-squirts.