Newton Bio Morph X

A computational framework for simulating tissue-scale mechanics of morphogenesis

The self-organised morphogenesis of multicellular organisms emerges not only from biochemical but also from mechanical processes, operating across spatial scales and producing symmetry breaking through mechanical instabilities. Yet, user-friendly computational tools for simulating tissue-scale mechanics are virtually nonexistent.

Over the years, we developed a finite element formulation and applied it to several research projects: the development of a polygonal network of creases in mammalian noses (Current Biology 2024); the drug-induced transition from chemical pre-patterning to mechanical skin folding in chicken reticulate scales (Open Biology 2025); the self-organised mechanical patterning of scales on the head and jaws of crocodiles (Nature 2025); and the patterning of scales on the top of the head of tortoises (iScience 2025). These morphogenetic processes are driven by growth and active contractility, and are influenced by the elastic and plastic properties of the tissues, as well as by their anisotropic reinforcement by fibres, multilayer interactions, and curvature.

Here, we present NewtonBioMorphX (Computer Physics Communications 2026), a GPU-accelerated, open-source application that brings together all these functionalities within a user-friendly graphical interface. Directly from the interface, you can generate geometries, define material properties, prescribe growth, add anisotropic reinforcement and active forces, visualise results in real time, and export simulations for further analysis.

In short, NewtonBioMorphX makes sophisticated mechanical modelling of morphogenesis accessible without editing or recompiling any code, for biologists and physicists alike. It is also a powerful teaching tool: you can showcase the principles of mechanical patterning, and your students can explore them hands-on themselves.

NewtonBioMorphX also includes twelve ready-to-run presets that illustrate how growth, elasticity, plasticity, fibre reinforcement, active contractility, multilayer interactions, and curvature collectively influence morphogenesis. We encourage you to work through them in order: together, they progressively introduce the major capabilities of the framework.

We hope you will enjoy using NewtonBioMorphX in your research and teaching.