EMBO Member
MPI für molekulare Zellbiologie und Genetik, Dresden | Germany
EMBO 2017 | MemC 22–25
We investigate the physical principles underlying the dynamic organization of the living state of matter. We combine theory and experiment and study how the actomyosin cell cortex self contracts to drive cell polarity establishment and left-right symmetry breaking in the early C. elegans nematode. At the scale of molecules we investigate force generation during vesicle tethering and fusion as well as the micro-mechanics of transcription.
Keywords: Active matter theory / actomyosin / cell polarity / left-right symmetry breaking / laser ablation / optical tweezers / single molecule biophysics
Subject area(s): Cell & Tissue Architecture | Membranes & Transport | Structural Biology & Biophysics | Systems Biology