Engineering Living Matter
Source: https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/vision-research-avenues/ra6-engineering-living-matter Parent: https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/
Research Avenue 6
- Research Avenue 1RA1
- Research Avenue 2RA2
- Research Avenue 3RA3
- Research Avenue 4RA4
- Research Avenue 5RA5
- Research Avenue 7RA7
Engineering Living Matter
To identify the physical principles underlying the living state of matter, the study of intact living systems can be complemented by an engineering approach, where fundamental biological modules are reconstituted and controlled in vitro. This approach removes constraints, providing in vitro systems that can be readily manipulated to explore a full range of dynamical states and emergent properties.
Our aim is to build synthetic or reconstituted systems that reproduce functional modules of living systems at molecular, cellular, and tissue scales, to reveal the physical principles of life. A particular focus is to reconstitute and study biological tempo, mechanical control, and information flow. This approach will reveal the limits of our current understanding and help identify principles of self-organization in living matter. In order to explore a full range of dynamical states and responses to perturbations, we will develop novel technologies and apply them, enabling precise spatiotemporal control of living systems.
Research Topic 1
Engineering Biological Tempo
Research Topic 2
Engineering Mechanical Control
Research Topic 3
Engineering Information Flow
News
13 March 2026\ Physics of Life at the DPG Spring Meeting 2026!
4 February 2026\ New insights into the mechanisms of organ growth and repair
28 January 2026\ New perspectives on how physical instabilities drive embryonic development
22 January 2026\ Making human pancreatic acinar cells
12 January 2026\ A Signature of Life: Time Irreversibility and Amplified Fluctuations in Living Matter
RA Leading Team
Miki Ebisuya (RA Leader)
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
(RA Leader)
Alf O. Honigmann (RA Co-Leader)
TUD BIOTEC | Professor for Biophysics
Membrane Organization of Cells and Tissues
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(RA Co-Leader) in a new tab
Stefan Diez
TUD B CUBE | Professor for BioNano Tools
Molecular transport in cell biology and nanotechnology
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© TUD CMCB, Magdalena Gonciarz
Meritxell Huch
MPI-CBG | Director of MPI-CBG, Lise Meitner Max Planck Research Group Leader
Organoids, tissue regeneration and its deregulation in disease
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© MPI-CBG
PoL Groups
Jan Brugués
Chair of Spatiotemporal Organization of Subcellular Structures
Spatiotemporal Organization of Subcellular Structures
hired by PoL
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Otger Campàs
Chair of Tissue Dynamics
Physics of Embryonic Self-Organization and Morphogenesis
hired by PoL
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Stefan Diez
TUD B CUBE | Professor for BioNano Tools
Molecular transport in cell biology and nanotechnology
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© TUD CMCB, Magdalena Gonciarz
Adele Doyle
Research Group Leader
Mechanobiology of Stem Cells
hired by PoL
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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
Benjamin Friedrich
Heisenberg Professor for Biological Algorithms
Biological Algorithms: Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Cells and Tissues
hired by PoL
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Anne Grapin-Botton
MPI-CBG | Director of MPI-CBG
Self-organization of cells into organ communities
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© MPI-CBG
Stephan W. Grill
MPI-CBG | Director of MPI-CBG, Professor for Physics of Life
Physics of Life
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© MPI-CBG
Alf O. Honigmann
TUD BIOTEC | Professor for Biophysics
Membrane Organization of Cells and Tissues
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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
© MPI-CBG
Anthony A. Hyman
MPI-CBG | Director of MPI-CBG, Professor for Molecular Cell Biology
Organization of Cytoplasm
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© Sven Döring
Frank Jülicher
MPI-PKS | Director of MPI-PKS, Professor for Biophysics
Dynamic processes in cells and tissues
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© MPI-CBG
Ivo F. Sbalzarini
TUD, CSBD | Professor for Scientific Computing for Systems Biology
The MOSAIC Group: Scientific Computing for Image-based Systems Biology
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© MPI-CBG
Carsten Werner
IPF | Professor for Biofunctional Polymer Materials
Biofunctional polymer materials
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PoL Associates
André Nadler
MPI-CBG | Research Group Leader
Membrane Chemical Biology
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Michael Schlierf
TUD B CUBE | Professor for Molecular Biophysics
Conformational changes in biomolecules and enzymes
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© TUD CMCB, Magdalena Gonciarz
Benjamin Schumann
TUD | Professor of Biochemistry
Chemical Glycobiology
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Anna Taubenberger
TUD BIOTEC, IPF | Research Group Leader
Oncomechanics
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© Magdalena Gonciarz
Pavel Tomancak
MPI-CBG | Research Group Leader
Patterns of gene expression in animal development
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© MPI-CBG
Jesse Veenvliet
MPI-CBG | Research Group Leader
Stembryogenesis
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© MPI-CBG