The proposed research focuses on the formation of biological tubes, which form the basic structure of essential organs like the heart, lungs, and digestive system. Defects in tube formation cause severe birth conditions like spina bifida. The proposed work investigates the mechanical and genetic regulation of tube morphogenesis using C. elegans vulval development as a model system. Mathematical modeling and microscopic imaging will help uncover how genes and physical forces shape normal tube formation and how they are disrupted in disease states.