Dr. Elias Barriga, a Principal Investigator at the Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life (PoL) at TUD Dresden University of Technology, has been awarded a prestigious research grant from the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Organization. The award will support an interdisciplinary project titled “Electro-chemical Actuation of Tissue Morphogenesis” and is shared with 3 international research partners: Juan Ramon Martinez-Morales (CABD, Spain), Charlie Duclut (Institut Curie, France) and Daniel Cohen (Princeton University, United States). The project will focus on elucidating how tissues use electrical and chemical signals as a means of communication when living organisms are acquiring their characteristic shapes.
This collaboration brings together expertise from different fields to uncover fundamental principles governing how organisms acquire their form. Beyond advancing our understanding of development, the project also aims to push the boundaries of synthetic biology. A long-term goal is to recreate electrochemical communication in engineered systems, opening the door to the controlled design of morphogenesis (the process that allows tissues and organs to take shape). Such advances could have far-reaching implications for regenerative medicine and bioengineered materials.
Reflecting on the award, Dr. Barriga said:
“We were surprised—in a good way—and really excited when we received the news. The project brings together cell and developmental biology, biophysics, and bioengineering to understand electrochemical communication between tissues as our bodies gain their shapes. A more ambitious angle is to recreate this communication, with the goal of designing and eventually controlling morphogenesis of synthetic systems.”
For the 2026 awardees, from a highly competitive pool of 1121 letters of intent, 81 were selected for a full proposal and submitted their application, resulting in the HFSP awarding 28 Research Grants, and 6 Early Career Research Grants. All applications were required to comprise of international teams involving at least two countries, with a preference for intercontinental collaborations. The HFSP will provide 3 years of support, with a possibility for extension up to 5 years for all awardees.
Congratulations Elias, and all the 2026 HFSP awardees!
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The Human Frontier Science Program is an international funding organization that supports innovative, high-risk research collaborations across disciplines and borders. HFSP grants are awarded through a highly selective process and are widely recognized for enabling pioneering approaches to fundamental biological questions.
Read the official press release from the HFSP regarding the 2026 awardees:
https://www.hfsp.org/hfsp-news/research-grants-awarded-117-most-pioneering-scientists-31-nations