Review: Volvox as a developmental model

Matt and Umen introduce the multicellular green alga Volvox carteri as a model for developmental studies. They provide an overview of embryonic patterning including the role of asymmetric cell divisions, inversion, (a process with some similarities to vertebrate gastrulation), and the role of cell size in cell fate. They conclude with a summary of genetic and other tools for the study of Volvox biology, as well as a list of open questions. This would be a very nice paper for students studying development, as Volvox is a less familiar but nonetheless interesting model species. Devel. Biol. 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.07.014