A new study from researchers at Harvard Medical School shows that the extracellular matrix can provide the driving force needed for tissue morphogenesis, challenging earlier studies that proposed motor proteins within cells drive tissue-structuring processes. The authors showed that hyaluronate pressure in combination with proteins that connect cells and direct the pressure generated through the swelling of hyaluronate in water, powers morphological change. The findings provide new insights for bioengineering, regenerative medicine, and basic biology.