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Akankshi Munjal

Assistant Professor of Cell Biology
Cell Biology
371 B Nanaline Duke Bldg, Durham, NC 27710

Scholarly Works - Preprints


Hydrostatic pressure shapes and canalizes semicircular canal morphology to ensure vestibular function.

Preprint · July 23, 2026 How tissues acquire reproducible shapes to support their function is a fundamental question in developmental biology. Zebrafish semicircular canals form when epithelial pillars partition the lumen of the otic vesicle, the embryonic precursor of the inner e ... Full text Link to item Cite

A single-cell transcriptomic atlas of inner ear morphogenesis in zebrafish

Preprint · May 6, 2026 The inner ear constitutes different cell types next to one another: the sensory patches whose hair cells synapse with neurons, the thin channels of three semicircular canals whose perpendicular organization enables detection of directional head rot ... Full text Cite

A single-cell transcriptomic atlas of inner ear morphogenesis in zebrafish

Preprint · May 6, 2026 The inner ear constitutes different cell types next to one another: the sensory patches whose hair cells synapse with neurons, the thin channels of three semicircular canals whose perpendicular organization enables detection of directional head rot ... Full text Cite

A self-limiting mechanotransduction feedback loop ensures robust organ formation.

Preprint · November 14, 2025 Organ morphogenesis uses mechanotransduction feedback loops to convert forces into gene expression changes that regulate cell mechanics. How these loops integrate with developmental programs to ensure robust outcomes remains unclear. We show Yap mechanotra ... Full text Link to item Cite

A single-cell transcriptomic atlas of inner ear morphogenesis in zebrafish.

Preprint · September 30, 2025 The inner ear constitutes different cell types next to one another: the sensory patches whose hair cells synapse with neurons, the thin channels of three semicircular canals whose perpendicular organization enables detection of directional head rotation, a ... Full text Link to item Cite

Extracellular hyaluronate pressure shaped by cellular tethers drives tissue morphogenesis

Preprint · 2020 Summary How tissues acquire complex shapes is a fundamental question in biology and regenerative medicine. Zebrafish semicircular canals form from invaginations in the otic epithelium (buds) that extend and fuse to form the hubs of each canal. We ... Full text Cite