Enhanced cell wall mechanics in VirtualLeaf enable realistic simulations of plant tissue dynamics

Computational modelling has become essential to advancing our understanding of plant developmental and physiological processes, necessitating the development of new computational approaches and software. We present VirtualLeaf-2.2, an upgraded modelling framework for the biophysical and biomechanical interactions between cells in plant tissues, with novel features for superior modelling of the cell wall. In particular, the updated version enables detailed modelling of variations in cell wall stability and cell wall sliding up to the level of individual cell wall elements. These improvements reflect the pivotal role cell walls play in plant development and survival, with younger cells generally having thinner, more flexible (primary) walls than older cells and cell wall stability as a crucial factor in growth processes and pathogen infection. The improvements of VirtualLeaf lay the groundwork for using VirtualLeaf to address novel questions involving plant tissue dynamics during growth, tissue formation and pathogen defence, as illustrated with example simulations.