Physics of living systems: From physical principles to biological function

EMBO Workshop

© Otger Campàs

Many biological processes, including the formation of functional structures at subcellular scales (mitotic spindle, cell cortex, nucleus, etc.) or at the tissue level (tissue morphogenesis and organ formation), involve a tight coordination of molecular, genetic and physical events in space and time. Several physical principles have recently helped understand these processes in a more unified way, and provided frameworks to connect length and time scales. The aim of this EMBO Workshop is to bring together scientists across disciplines, both experimentalists and theorists, interested in identifying the emergent principles that control the dynamic organization of living matter, especially when these principles underlie biological function.

This second edition of the EMBO Workshop on Physics of Living Systems will be held in person to foster interactions within the quantitative biology, biological physics and biophysics fields. We aim to provide a platform for networking to stimulate community building and future collaborations, while learning about the most exciting and innovative research being carried out at the intersection of biology and physics.

This EMBO Workshop will include some of the most important recent topics in the field, glued together by the search of the fundamental principles that underlie the spatiotemporal organization of living matter, including mechanochemical feedbacks, information transfer across scales, and robustness, among others. We have selected a synergistic group of speakers from physics, biology, and engineering backgrounds to embrace the interdisciplinarity of our scope.

EMBO Workshop Website