ctrl-Dev is a computer program which aims at integrating gene transcription, molecular signalling and cell motion in a relatively manageable computational model of development.

It incorporates in a fairly simple way the effects of combinatorial gene transcription control, cell-cell signalling and cell motility in order to yield an "informatic preparation". This preparation can then be used to perform "informatic experiments" in developmental biology. "Fairly simple" means that a biologist, helped initially by someone reasonably conversant with C++ notation, might be able to use the program to enter a description of some experimental situation of interest and, by running the program, gain a better understanding of the biological problems involved.

The program has been applied to models of morphogen propagation, to early neurogenesis (formation of the neural tube) , and to the segmentation of Insects.