  Cellular contractility, migration, and extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanics
are critical for a wide range of biological processes including embryonic
development, wound healing, tissue morphogenesis, and regeneration. Even though
the distinct response of cells near the tissue periphery has been previously
observed in cell-laden microtissues, including faster kinetics and more
prominent cell-ECM interactions, there are currently no models that can fully
combine coupled surface and bulk mechanics and kinetics to recapitulate the
morphogenic response of these constructs. Mailand \textit{et al.} (2019) had
shown the importance of active elastocapillarity in cell-laden microtissues,
but modeling the distinct mechanosensitive migration of cells on the periphery
and the interior of highly deforming tissues has not been possible thus fur,
especially in the presence of active elastocapillary effects. This paper
presents a framework for understanding the interplay between cellular
contractility, migration, and ECM mechanics in dynamically morphing soft
tissues accounting for distinct cellular responses in the bulk and the surface
of tissues. The major novelty of this approach is that it enables modeling the
distinct migratory and contractile response of cells residing on the tissue
surface and the bulk, where concurrently the morphing soft tissues undergoes
large deformations driven by cell contractility. Additionally, the proposed
model is validated through simulation results that capture the changes in shape
and cell concentration for wounded and intact microtissues, enabling the
interpretation of experimental data.
