# Self-Organizing Active Molecular Systems
**Source**: https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/vision-research-avenues/ra3-self-organizing-active-molecular-systems
**Parent**: https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/
Research Avenue 3
- [Research Avenue 1RA1](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/vision-research-avenues/ra1-collective-transitions-in-multicellular-systems "Collective Transitions in Multicellular Systems")
- [Research Avenue 2RA2](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/vision-research-avenues/ra2-emergent-cellular-phases "Emergent Cellular Phases")
- [Research Avenue 4RA4](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/vision-research-avenues/ra4-energy-and-information-flows-in-active-matter "Energy and Information Flows in Active Matter")
- [Research Avenue 5RA5](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/vision-research-avenues/ra5-physical-measurements-in-intact-living-systems "Physical Measurements in Intact Living Systems")
- [Research Avenue 6RA6](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/vision-research-avenues/ra6-engineering-living-matter "Engineering Living Matter")
- [Research Avenue 7RA7](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/vision-research-avenues/ra7-bio-data-science-and-physics-inspired-ai "Bio-Data Science and Physics-Informed AI")
# Self-Organizing Active Molecular Systems
Cells employ subcellular structures, such as the nucleus, the mitotic spindle, or the cortex, to perform essential cellular functions. These subcellular structures emerge through the collective interactions of many molecular players. The emergence of functional structures at the mesoscale is constrained by the physics of active matter.
**Our aim** is to uncover the physical principles of molecular self-organization that lead to the emergence of active and functional cytoskeletal and chromatin structures. From a biological perspective, how subcellular structures and their specific functions emerge from molecular behaviors and their interactions will be revealed. Concepts for the collective self-organization of active molecular systems will also be developed, with a specific focus on how physical principles govern self-organization of molecules into the mitotic and meiotic spindles, the actomyosin cell cortex, and the cell nucleus.
Research Topic 1
Connecting Chromatin Physics, Architecture, and Function
Research Topic 2
Time, Symmetry, and Robustness in Cytoskeletal Structures
Research Topic 3
Energetics of Structure Formation and Maintenance
Research Topic 4
Subcellular Hydraulics
## News
18 November 2024\
**[How To Achieve Precision in a Noisy Biological System – Scientists Explain the Regular Beating of Sperm Tails](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/news/2024/11/18/how-to-achieve-precision-in-a-noisy-biological-system-scientists-explain-the-regular-beating-of-sperm-tails)**
17 October 2024\
**[Studying Intrinsically Disordered Protein Regions Using SHARK](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/news/2024/10/17/studying-intrinsically-disordered-protein-regions-using-shark)**
27 May 2024\
**[Tails for Proteins: How Environmental Factors Can Affect Protein Production](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/news/2024/05/27/tails-for-proteins-how-environmental-factors-can-affect-protein-production)**
15 April 2024\
**[Michael Riedl is awarded the Human Frontier Science Program Fellowship](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/news/2024/04/15/michael-riedl-is-awarded-the-human-frontier-science-program-fellowship)**
7 February 2024\
**[What regulates basal tension in epithelia? The answer is in the basement!](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/news/2024/02/07/guerra-santillan-et-al)**
[all Research Avenue 3 news](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/news/category:ra3)
## RA Leading Team
### Jan Brugués (RA Leader)
Chair of Spatiotemporal Organization of Subcellular Structures
Spatiotemporal Organization of Subcellular Structures
hired by PoL
[›› visit the website of Jan Brugués<br>(RA Leader)](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/team/pol-groups/brugues "›› visit the website of Jan Brugués<br>(RA Leader)")
### Xingbo Yang (RA Co-Leader)
Research Group Leader
Bioenergetics of Self-Organization
hired by PoL
[›› visit the website of Xingbo Yang<br>(RA Co-Leader)](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/team/pol-groups/yang "›› visit the website of Xingbo Yang<br>(RA Co-Leader)")
### Christina Kurzthaler
MPI-PKS, CSBD
| Research Group Leader
Transport and Flows in Complex Environments
[›› open the website of Christina Kurzthaler in a new tab](https://www.pks.mpg.de/tfce "›› open the website of Christina Kurzthaler in a new tab")
© MPI-CBG
## PoL Groups
### Simon Alberti
TUD BIOTEC
| Professor for Cellular Biochemistry
Organization of cytoplasm across space and time
[›› open the website of Simon Alberti in a new tab](https://tu-dresden.de/cmcb/biotec/forschungsgruppen/alberti?set_language=en "›› open the website of Simon Alberti in a new tab")
© MPI-CBG
### Elias Barriga
Research Group Leader
Biophysical Mechanisms of Morphogenesis
hired by PoL
[›› visit the website of Elias Barriga](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/team/pol-groups/barriga "›› visit the website of Elias Barriga")
### Catherina G. Becker
TUD CRTD, TUD Faculty of Biology
| Professor for Neural Development and Regeneration
Neural Development and Regeneration
[›› open the website of Catherina G. Becker in a new tab](https://tu-dresden.de/cmcb/crtd/forschungsgruppen/crtd-forschungsgruppen/becker?set_language=en "›› open the website of Catherina G. Becker in a new tab")
© TUD CMCB/Magdalena Gonciarz
### Jan Brugués
Chair of Spatiotemporal Organization of Subcellular Structures
Spatiotemporal Organization of Subcellular Structures
hired by PoL
[›› visit the website of Jan Brugués](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/team/pol-groups/brugues "›› visit the website of Jan Brugués")
### Otger Campàs
Chair of Tissue Dynamics
Physics of Embryonic Self-Organization and Morphogenesis
hired by PoL
[›› visit the website of Otger Campàs](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/team/pol-groups/campas "›› visit the website of Otger Campàs")
### Stefan Diez
TUD B CUBE
| Professor for BioNano Tools
Molecular transport in cell biology and nanotechnology
[›› open the website of Stefan Diez in a new tab](https://tu-dresden.de/cmcb/bcube/forschungsgruppen/diez?set_language=en "›› open the website of Stefan Diez in a new tab")
© TUD CMCB, Magdalena Gonciarz
### Miki Ebisuya
Humboldt Professor and Chair of Cell and Tissue Control
Cross-Species Comparison and Manipulation of the Organoid Zoo
hired by PoL
[›› visit the website of Miki Ebisuya](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/team/pol-groups/ebisuya "›› visit the website of Miki Ebisuya")
### Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich
Heisenberg Professor for Mechanics of Active Biomaterials
Mechanics of Active Biomaterials
hired by PoL
[›› visit the website of Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/team/pol-groups/fischer-friedrich "›› visit the website of Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich")
### Benjamin Friedrich
Heisenberg Professor for Biological Algorithms
Biological Algorithms: Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Cells and Tissues
hired by PoL
[›› visit the website of Benjamin Friedrich](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/team/pol-groups/friedrich "›› visit the website of Benjamin Friedrich")
### Anne Grapin-Botton
MPI-CBG
| Director of MPI-CBG
Self-organization of cells into organ communities
[›› open the website of Anne Grapin-Botton in a new tab](https://www.mpi-cbg.de/research/researchgroups/currentgroups/anne-grapin-botton/ "›› open the website of Anne Grapin-Botton in a new tab")
© MPI-CBG
### Stephan W. Grill
MPI-CBG
| Director of MPI-CBG, Professor for Physics of Life
Physics of Life
[›› open the website of Stephan W. Grill in a new tab](https://www.mpi-cbg.de/research/researchgroups/currentgroups/stephan-grill/ "›› open the website of Stephan W. Grill in a new tab")
© MPI-CBG
### Heather Harrington
MPI-CBG, CSBD
| Director of MPI-CBG and CSBD, Professor of Mathematics at the Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford
Algebraic Systems Biology
[›› open the website of Heather Harrington in a new tab](https://www.mpi-cbg.de/research/researchgroups/currentgroups/heather-harrington/group-leader "›› open the website of Heather Harrington in a new tab")
© Z Goriely
### Alf O. Honigmann
TUD BIOTEC
| Professor for Biophysics
Membrane Organization of Cells and Tissues
[›› open the website of Alf O. Honigmann in a new tab](https://tu-dresden.de/cmcb/biotec/forschungsgruppen/honigmann "›› open the website of Alf O. Honigmann in a new tab")
### Meritxell Huch
MPI-CBG
| Director of MPI-CBG, Lise Meitner Max Planck Research Group Leader
Organoids, tissue regeneration and its deregulation in disease
[›› open the website of Meritxell Huch in a new tab](https://www.mpi-cbg.de/research/researchgroups/currentgroups/meritxell-huch/ "›› open the website of Meritxell Huch in a new tab")
© MPI-CBG
### Anthony A. Hyman
MPI-CBG
| Director of MPI-CBG, Professor for Molecular Cell Biology
Organization of Cytoplasm
[›› open the website of Anthony A. Hyman in a new tab](https://www.mpi-cbg.de/research/researchgroups/currentgroups/anthony-hyman/ "›› open the website of Anthony A. Hyman in a new tab")
© Sven Döring
### Frank Jülicher
MPI-PKS
| Director of MPI-PKS, Professor for Biophysics
Dynamic processes in cells and tissues
[›› open the website of Frank Jülicher in a new tab](https://www.pks.mpg.de/biological-physics/frank-juelicher/ "›› open the website of Frank Jülicher in a new tab")
© MPI-CBG
### Christina Kurzthaler
MPI-PKS, CSBD
| Research Group Leader
Transport and Flows in Complex Environments
[›› open the website of Christina Kurzthaler in a new tab](https://www.pks.mpg.de/tfce "›› open the website of Christina Kurzthaler in a new tab")
© MPI-CBG
### Rita Mateus
Research Group Leader
Biophysical Principles of Vertebrate Growth
hired by PoL
[›› visit the website of Rita Mateus](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/team/pol-groups/mateus "›› visit the website of Rita Mateus")
### Ivo F. Sbalzarini
TUD, CSBD
| Professor for Scientific Computing for Systems Biology
The MOSAIC Group: Scientific Computing for Image-based Systems Biology
[›› open the website of Ivo F. Sbalzarini in a new tab](http://mosaic.mpi-cbg.de "›› open the website of Ivo F. Sbalzarini in a new tab")
© MPI-CBG
### Helmut Schießel
Chair of Theoretical Physics of Living Matter
Theoretical Physics of Living Matter
hired by PoL
[›› visit the website of Helmut Schießel](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/team/pol-groups/schiessel "›› visit the website of Helmut Schießel")
### Xingbo Yang
Research Group Leader
Bioenergetics of Self-Organization
hired by PoL
[›› visit the website of Xingbo Yang](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/team/pol-groups/yang "›› visit the website of Xingbo Yang")
## PoL Associates
### Arash Nikoubashman
IPF, TUD Faculty of Physics
| Heisenberg Professor for Theory of Biologically Inspired Polymers
Theory of Bio-inspired polymers
[›› open the website of Arash Nikoubashman in a new tab](https://www.ipfdd.de/index.php?id=3529 "›› open the website of Arash Nikoubashman in a new tab")
### Jens-Uwe Sommer
IPF
| Professor for Theory of Polymers at Interfaces
Theoretical Polymer Physics
[›› open the website of Jens-Uwe Sommer in a new tab](https://www.ipfdd.de/en/research/institute-theory-of-polymers/people/prof-dr-jens-uwe-sommer/ "›› open the website of Jens-Uwe Sommer in a new tab")
© IPF, Jürgen Lösel
### Pavel Tomancak
MPI-CBG
| Research Group Leader
Patterns of gene expression in animal development
[›› open the website of Pavel Tomancak in a new tab](https://www.mpi-cbg.de/research/researchgroups/currentgroups/pavel-tomancak/ "›› open the website of Pavel Tomancak in a new tab")
© MPI-CBG
### Alexander von Appen
MPI-CBG
| Research Group Leader
Structural Self-Organization of Membranous Organelles
[›› open the website of Alexander von Appen in a new tab](https://www.mpi-cbg.de/research/researchgroups/currentgroups/alexander-von-appen "›› open the website of Alexander von Appen in a new tab")
© MPI-CBG
- [Research Avenue 1RA1](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/vision-research-avenues/ra1-collective-transitions-in-multicellular-systems "Collective Transitions in Multicellular Systems")
- [Research Avenue 2RA2](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/vision-research-avenues/ra2-emergent-cellular-phases "Emergent Cellular Phases")
- [Research Avenue 4RA4](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/vision-research-avenues/ra4-energy-and-information-flows-in-active-matter "Energy and Information Flows in Active Matter")
- [Research Avenue 5RA5](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/vision-research-avenues/ra5-physical-measurements-in-intact-living-systems "Physical Measurements in Intact Living Systems")
- [Research Avenue 6RA6](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/vision-research-avenues/ra6-engineering-living-matter "Engineering Living Matter")
- [Research Avenue 7RA7](https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/vision-research-avenues/ra7-bio-data-science-and-physics-inspired-ai "Bio-Data Science and Physics-Informed AI")