In contrast to most artificial machines, biological organisms comprise soft and often fluid-like material. How can such soft matter be controlled in space and time to fulfill precise functions? What can we learn from nature to design smart materials? To uncover the physical principles of such an organization, we analyze theoretical models of biological processes using tools from statistical physics, dynamical system theory, fluid dynamics, and information theory.
Guido Kusters and Filipe Thewes recently joined our group as postdocs. They will help us understand how condensates behave in cells and beyond by developing theories of phase separation augmented with various physical processes.
We published multiple papers in the first half of 2024! We study how higher-order interactions, wall affinity, membrane binding and dimerization, as well as non-local elasticity affect phase separation. All these papers will help us to better understand how condensates form in cells.
We are excited to announce that Cathelijne ter Burg and Oliver Paulin joined the group as postdocs last week!
